Business technology manufacturer Brother has achieved a top ethical rating in The Good Office Guide, a companion publication to the Ethical Company Organisation’s popular Good Shopping Guide.

The Good Office Guide, which provides practical hints and tips on buying environmentally sound office products from ethical manufacturers, ranks Brother above any other business technology manufacturer for its ethical performance.

The new research from the Ethical Company Organisation assesses sixteen business technology manufacturers on their performance on issues including the environment, human rights and the arms industry. Brother is the only manufacturer to gain ethical status across its printer, fax and multifunction ranges.

The guide - which is published later this month (March) - gives Brother a ‘top rating’ on nine of the 11 criteria - more than any other company on the list, which included manufacturing giants such as Hewlett Packard, Canon and Samsung.

Chris Hinds, Brother’s Marketing Communications Manager, said: “We are delighted that the company researchers behind The Good Office Guide have recognised the strong track record Brother has on a whole range of environmental and ethical issues.

“Concern for the environment is at the centre of Brother’s product development strategy. We are the first and only manufacturer to gain TCO ’99, for a printer. It requires products to pass over 50 stringent tests on ergonomics, emission levels, energy consumption and ecological soundness.”

Brother is the main sponsor of The Good Office Guide, which is also supported by Cafédirect, the UK’s largest Fairtrade hot drinks company, and Good Energy renewable electricity.

Chris Hinds said: “Sponsoring The Good Office Guide has provided a great opportunity for us to not only encourage businesses to be environmentally and ethically conscious, but to make the right purchasing decisions too.”

He added: “Being ‘green’ and buying ethically makes good business sense. Using less paper, consuming less energy, dealing with waste more effectively - these could all save a considerable amount of cash and be good for the environment too. That is why we are campaigning this year for businesses to adopt double-sided printing to reduce paper usage and cost.”

For a free copy of The Good Office Guide please call 0845 6060626 or email .