Monster

How ethical is Monster?

Monster is a soft drinks brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table. Although Monster has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Monster if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Soft Drinks sector.

What does Monster do?

Monster Energy is a brand of caffeine-boosted soft drinks created by Hansen Natural Company in 2002. The brand now has an extensive line of soft drinks and sponsors a number of extreme sporting events.

In which areas does Monster perform poorly?

Monster was marked down under our criteria for Organic and Vegetarian due to a lack of certification for either category. It also gets a bottom rating for its Environmental Report as its Sustainability Report 2021 does not contain enough information for a higher score.

Monster is also given a middle rating for Political Donations, as it donated above $40K  in recent election cycles. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Monster’s record

Monster was recently given a grade of D (very poor) by As You Sow’s report ‘Waste and Opportunity’ which ranks companies based on their plastic packaging pollution. Monster also received an incredibly low score from the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark which assesses companies on 100 human rights indicators.

In which areas does Monster score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms relating to; GM, Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare or Armaments, therefore Monster scores well across these criteria. Monster also gets a top score for Environmental Report, as Suntory has a page containing detailed targets.

How can Monster improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Monster is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Monster has some issues to resolve, including its poor environmental report. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Monster some guidance to improve on these areas.

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.