Inclusion Standards
The bar for getting listed differs by category. A kitchen brand and an air purifier are not judged on the same scale. This page documents the criteria used for each.
Three tiers
Standard product category. Most categories. The bar is at least some fully plastic-free products, or a clearly identifiable plastic-free range within a larger catalogue.
Functionally dependent category. Categories where no plastic-free alternative exists for core function (filter media, membranes). Inclusion is judged on overall benefit, not material purity.
Plastic-intensive category. Categories where plastic is the default. Only specific products with substantial material reduction are listed, and listings name the product rather than the brand.
Standard categories
Kitchen
Standard product categoryThe brand sells cookware, bakeware, food storage, or tableware with no plastic in any part the food touches and no plastic in the body of the item.
Qualifies
- Stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, copper, titanium
- Borosilicate glass storage with metal or wood lids
- Solid wood utensils and boards with food-safe finishes
- Beeswax wraps and other compostable storage
Does not qualify
- Nonstick coatings (PTFE/PFAS), even when the body is metal
- Silicone-only utensils, lids, or bakeware (silicone is not treated as plastic-free)
- Plastic lids on otherwise-glass containers
Brands that sell both qualifying and disqualifying lines (e.g. stainless next to nonstick) are listed under "selected items only" and the description names exactly which lines qualify.
Bathroom
Standard product categoryThe brand offers personal-care products without plastic packaging or plastic-bodied hardware.
Qualifies
- Solid bars: shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant
- Refillable glass, aluminium, or stainless containers
- Bamboo, wood, or metal toothbrushes, combs, brushes, razors
- Natural-bristle brushes (boar, plant fibre)
Does not qualify
- Liquid products in plastic bottles, even when the formula is natural
- Plastic-bristle brushes and toothbrushes
- Handles described as "recycled plastic" or "ocean plastic"
Cleaning
Standard product categoryThe brand offers cleaning products that work without plastic packaging or single-use plastic delivery.
Qualifies
- Refill systems: paper sachets, dissolvable tablets, concentrate in glass
- Powder and bar cleaners
- Natural-fibre cloths, scrubbers, and brushes (cotton, linen, sisal, coconut, loofah)
- Glass or metal spray bottles for refills
Does not qualify
- Plastic spray bottles, even with refill schemes that still ship in plastic
- Polyester or polyurethane sponges and microfibre cloths (shed microplastics in use)
Clothing & Textiles
Standard product categoryThe brand offers 100% natural-fibre garments on enough categories that a reader can dress from it without hitting synthetics. Easy to meet: even mainstream retailers carry pure cotton, linen, and wool pieces.
Qualifies
- Cotton, organic cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk, lyocell, ramie
- Mass retailers with sizable natural-fibre lines (filterable on their site)
- Leather, cork, or canvas footwear uppers
Does not qualify
- Polyester, nylon, acrylic, or fleece as the dominant fibre
- Recycled-PET clothing (still sheds microplastics in the wash)
- Brands whose natural-fibre offering stops at one or two SKUs
Underwear is the realistic exception. A small amount of elastane (roughly up to 5%) is tolerated there and in sportswear waistbands. Synthetic thread, linings, and trims are tolerated when the garment body is natural fibre. The description flags any synthetic content.
Children & Babies
Standard product categoryToys, clothing, and care items made from natural materials safe for young children to handle and chew.
Qualifies
- Solid wood toys with non-toxic finishes (beeswax, food-safe oil, water-based paint)
- Stuffed animals filled with cotton or wool, in cotton or wool shells
- Cotton, wool, and linen clothing and bedding
- Stainless or glass feeding ware
Does not qualify
- Polyester fleece sleepwear and blankets
- Polyester-stuffed plush toys
- Painted plastic toys, even when marketed as non-toxic
Cosmetics & Beauty
Standard product categoryPackaging is glass, aluminium, cardboard, or metal, and the formula contains no microplastic ingredients.
Qualifies
- Glass jars and bottles with metal lids
- Aluminium tins and tubes
- Cardboard or paper compacts and refills
- Solid formats (bars, sticks, pressed powders) without plastic outers
Does not qualify
- Plastic tubes, pumps, and compacts
- Microplastic ingredients in the INCI list (polyethylene, nylon-12, acrylates copolymer, carbomer as primary actives)
Larger retailers with a dedicated plastic-free range (e.g. Lush’s "plastic-free" tag) are listed for that range only. The description tells readers which filter or tag to use on the brand's site.
Home & Living
Standard product categoryFurniture and household goods made from solid natural materials, finished without plastic-based coatings where possible.
Qualifies
- Solid wood furniture with linseed, shellac, or wax finishes
- Metal, glass, ceramic, and stone homewares
- Wool, cotton, linen, hemp upholstery and bedding
- Cork, jute, sisal, and seagrass floor coverings
Does not qualify
- MDF or particleboard with plastic-laminate veneers
- Polyester-blend upholstery (most mainstream sofas and rugs)
- PVC flooring and vinyl wallpaper
Supplements & Nutrition
Standard product categoryPackaging is glass, metal, or compostable. The container is the main criterion in this category.
Qualifies
- Glass jars with metal or cork lids
- Aluminium or steel tins
- Cardboard tubs with metal lids
- Compostable pouches with no plastic liner
Does not qualify
- Plastic tubs, even when the formula is exceptional
- Foil-lined plastic pouches and stick packs
Brands with a mixed catalogue (some glass, some plastic) are listed for the qualifying range only. The description names which products ship plastic-free.
Functionally dependent categories
Water Filtration & Purification
Functionally dependent categoryStainless steel construction for the body and any holding tank, with glass or stainless collection. Distillers and reverse-osmosis units are the two thorough home options.
Qualifies
- Stainless-steel countertop distillers with glass collection
- Reverse-osmosis systems built around stainless components, not plastic tanks
- Whole-house carbon and sediment systems with metal housings
Does not qualify
- RO systems with plastic pressure tanks
- Plastic-bodied countertop filters and pitcher filters
- Branded refill cartridges with no published contaminant data
Plastic is tolerated only where it is structurally unavoidable: internal fans, cables, small fittings, and replacement RO membranes. The body and tank must be metal. Replacement membranes are excluded from concession lists because no plastic-free alternative exists for them.
Air Purifiers
Functionally dependent categorySteel or aluminium cabinet, with HEPA and a meaningful activated-carbon stage. The body itself has to be metal; a good filter inside a plastic shell does not qualify.
Qualifies
- Solid steel or aluminium cabinets with perforated metal intakes
- HEPA media paired with a measured carbon bed (typically several pounds)
- Published filter composition and service life
Does not qualify
- Plastic-bodied or plastic-shell units, regardless of filtration performance
- Units with no published filter specification
- Ionisers and "plasma" devices with no particulate filtration
HEPA filter media is always synthetic and is not counted as a concession (no plastic-free alternative exists). Plastic on motor housings, castors, knobs, switches, and cords is tolerated. The category page tells readers that a plastic-bodied unit is still better than nothing for shoppers on a tight budget. That is shopping advice, not an inclusion criterion: the catalog only lists metal-cabinet units.
Plastic-intensive categories
Tech & Electronics
Plastic-intensive categoryOnly specific named products with metal, glass, or wood as the primary user-facing surface. Generic plastic consumer electronics are not listed.
Qualifies
- Aluminium, magnesium, or titanium chassis (laptops, peripherals, projectors)
- Glass screens and lenses without plastic bezels where possible
- Wood, cork, or metal accessories (keyboards, stands, cases)
Does not qualify
- Plastic chassis with metal accents
- Marketing claims of "recycled plastic" with no material reduction
Internal plastic on PCBs, cables, and connectors is unavoidable and is not counted against a product. The bar is what the user actually touches, carries, and eventually disposes of. Listings always name the specific product, not the brand as a whole.
Material definitions
- Silicone, bioplastics, and recycled plastic are not treated as plastic-free. They share the same end-of-life and microplastic shedding concerns.
- Elastane up to ~5% in clothing waistbands and sportswear is tolerated when stretch is functionally needed. Disclosed in the brand description.
- HEPA media, RO membranes, and similar functional plastics are excluded from concession lists in the filtration and air-purifier categories. No plastic-free alternative exists.
- Plastic-free packaging is preferred across all categories and is the primary criterion in Cosmetics & Beauty and Supplements & Nutrition.
- Internal plastic in tech (PCBs, cables, connectors) is unavoidable and not counted against a product. The bar is the user-facing surface.
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