The aim of Knowmore.org is to raise awareness of corporate abuse, and to serve as a catalyst for direct action against corporate power.

Ethical Consumerism is an important movement toward corporate reform, through which individuals recognize their own role in systems of oppression, and take personal steps toward resistance and  positive change.

However, the problem of unchecked corporate power is systemic and goes far beyond the scope of any single boycot or campaign.

Once you've seen enough of Knowmore's data and familiarized yourself with our Issues section, check out our Direct Action page to get involved!

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From Knowmore.org

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[edit] Criticisms

• US: The New Blacklist "But the P&G cave-in to the Christian right is only the tip of the iceberg. In just the past year and a half, AFA protests and boycotts -- or even the simple threat of boycotts -- have been enough to make a host of American companies pull their ads from TV shows the Christian right considers pro-gay or salacious. "Desperate Housewives" has lost ads from Safeway, Tyson Foods, Liberty Mutual, Kohl's, Alberto Culver, Leapfrog and Lowe's after the AFA's One Million Dads campaign targeted the show's sponsors."

[edit] Environmental Concerns

• EPA Reaches Agreement With Alberto-Culver The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a consent agreement with Alberto-Culver USA on alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In February 1999, the EPA inspected the plant and found eight 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste, including spent chloroform. The company agreed to pay a $104,000 fine and has completed an environmental project, spending $6,000 on equipment to reduce chloroform generation by about 70 percent. Chloroform is a persistent bioaccumulative toxicant that can remain in the environment for long periods of time.

• Alberto to Modify Labels In 1991, the Alberto-Culver company agreed to remove the "ozone friendly" from the labels of its aerosol hair products. The agreement came about after 10 US states challenged the statement as being misleading and generally false. $50,000 was paid to cover the states' investigation costs.

[edit] Praise

[edit] Environmental Concerns

• Alberto-Culver Makes Permanent, Public Its Internal Ban On Animal Testing On December 10, 2002, Alberto-Culver announced a permanent ban on animal testing for all the products that it manufactures. While Alberto-Culver does not currently have a formal agreement in place with its suppliers, the company told People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that they have been advised of the new policy.

• Alberto-Culver is a corporate sponsor of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, which works with scientists to find new methods that will replace the use of lab animals in experiments, reduce the number of animals tested, and refine necessary tests to eliminate pain and distress.

[edit] Workers Rights

• Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness, Members Alberto-Culver's non-discrimination policy includes sexual orientation.

[edit] Business Ethics

• Alberto-Culver Company Founder Pledges Additional $2 mil to SDSU Entrepreneurial Management Center Leonard H. Lavin, the founder of Alberto-Culver, has pledged $2 million to the San Diego State University Entrepreneurial Management Center. The pledge is considered a gift to be paid over a five-year period. This new pledge joins a former donation $1 million in 2005, which was set to be payable over ten years.

[edit] Brands & Subsidiaries

VO5, Baker's Joy, Consort, Just for Me! VIP Club, Molly McButter, Motions, Mrs. Dash, Nexxus, Soft & Beautiful, Static Guard, SugarTwin, St. Ives, TCB, TRESemmé