Pampers

How ethical is Pampers?

Pampers is a brand of nappies which has been given a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Nappies Ratings Table. Although it has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see Pampers make progress in future.

Read more about the issues facing the Ethical Nappies sector and find out which companies have achieved accreditation for their commitment to being ethical and sustainable.

What does Pampers do?

Pampers was created in 1961, after P&G researcher Victor Mills disliked changing the cloth diapers of his newborn grandchild. He assigned fellow researchers in P&G’s Exploratory Division in Miami Valley, Ohio to look into making a better disposable diaper. They were created by researchers at P&G including Vic Mills and Norma Lueders Baker.

In which areas does Pampers perform poorly?

On its website, The Procter and Gamble Company has a section titled Structure and Governance. The page includes information about its political involvement and lobbying activity. As its donations are above our threshold, Pampers gets a bottom rating for Political Donations. Pampers was marked down under our criteria for Animal Welfare as Procter & Gamble confirms that it does test on animals when required by law.

Pampers was also marked down under our criteria for Organic products and Vegetarian/Vegan products due to a lack of certification, and for Fossil Fuels as Procter & Gamble owns several fossil fuel plants.  It also gets a bottom rating for Irresponsible Marketing due to ongoing lawsuits relating to allegations of carcinogenic contaminants in its Old Spice antiperspirant sprays.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Pampers’ record

Procter & Gamble has been named as one of the companies sourcing palm oil from suppliers allegedly controlled by the Harita Group, responsible for ongoing destruction of forests and indigenous communities in Borneo. Procter & Gamble also scored Ethical Consumer’s worst rating for its use of palm oil.

In which areas does Pampers score well for its ethics?

Pampers receives a high score for its Environmental Report, as Procter and Gamble has an Environmental Sustainability page on its website which contains information and targets for the environmental topics of water, climate, packaging and forestry.

How can Pampers improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Pampers is awarded is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria. To reach our minimum benchmark score and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Pampers has some issues to resolve including its funding of Fossil Fuels. Find out more about how we rate.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.