Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
small appliances product based on publicly available data.
It does not name or assess any specific manufacturer or product.
Individual products may perform better or worse.
Learn about verified ratings →
Below HIP Mark threshold
Score 2.7/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.0
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical electric fan looks like today. It uses materials that hold up better than average. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
2.7 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.0 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -3.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Electric Fans, based only on public data. No maker has sent us
their own data yet. The ceiling score (shown below) is what a product can reach when the maker
shares real evidence. To close the gap, makers apply for a verified rating.
Make this product? You can raise this score.
The starting score for this category is 2.7 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.0 HIP.
Our first verified product scored 6.9 and earned the HIP Mark.
Share your product data and we score what you can prove.
Apply for verified assessment
What to Check Before You Buy
- Check the motor and capacitor are accessible for service. Fan motors and start capacitors are the most common failures; accessibility means a technician can replace them rather than disposing of the whole unit.
- Confirm blade assemblies and guard fixings are stocked as spare parts. Broken blades and bent guards are common; stocking them signals the maker expects a long service life.
- Look for a metal base and housing over all-plastic. Metal-bodied fans outlast plastic models in long-term use and are significantly more robust in storage.
- Check the warranty length. Two years is standard; three-plus years on the motor is a reasonable signal of build quality in this category.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains copper, a material designated on the EU Critical Raw Materials list, which drives the scarcity score despite the presence of abundant materials like steel and aluminium. The absence of submitted recycled content data necessitates a conservative assumption of zero recycled content, preventing eligibility for higher scarcity tiers. Supply chain concentration risks are elevated due to the manufacturing location in China, a dominant global supplier for several critical minerals.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The electric fan is assembled in China, a primary source for copper, steel, and rare earth magnets, creating concentration risk where over 60% of global supply originates from a single jurisdiction. No due-diligence programme or third-party audit is documented, and no alternative suppliers are verified for these critical inputs. This profile aligns with the high-risk baseline for standard appliances lacking supply chain transparency.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The electric fan is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, preventing practical material separation. Only an estimated 20% of the product weight enters recycling streams, primarily metal components, while plastics and heating elements are not recovered in practice. This performance aligns with the baseline for sealed consumer electronics manufactured in China without design for disassembly.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The product is assumed to be glued shut with no spare parts available and no public service manual. As an electric fan not covered by EU Ecodesign regulations, it lacks the regulatory baseline for repairability and aligns with the unrepairable category typical of sealed consumer electronics.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a jurisdiction with elevated labour risk profiles, and no third-party audits or environmental certifications were submitted. The assessment falls at the pre-verification baseline for mass-market consumer goods produced in Asia without independent verification of social or environmental management systems.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product has a 1-year warranty and a stated design life of 6 years, placing it within the typical mass-market small appliance range. The lack of an IP rating and modular design limits the score, as these features are required for higher longevity bands.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is scored in the Depleting band (-7) because it is a conventional electric fan with no recycled content, no take-back scheme, and primary materials assumed to be mined from finite geological reserves. It does not meet the criteria for the Extractive band as there is no verified recycled content or recovery programme, and it is not bio-based renewable. The absence of FSC/PEFC certification or regenerative practices confirms it does not qualify for the Renewable or higher bands.
MSI 20% · SCR 18% · RC 18% · R 13% · SEI 8% · PL 8% · RI 15% = 100%
About the HIP Methodology ▸
Starting scores are low on purpose. We only count what we can confirm from public data,
so most products sit between 2 and 4 out of 10 before a maker shares their own evidence.
That gap between the starting score and what a product could reach is the whole point.
When a maker proves what their product is really made of, the score goes up.
The HIP Mark shows it has been checked.
Read the full methodology →
Consumer Summary
This electric fan has a HIP Score of 2.7 out of 10, which aligns with the current market baseline for this category. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, indicating that the product is in a depleting state as it relies on scarce materials and lacks mechanisms for recycling or repair. Overall, the item performs similarly to typical mass-market fans regarding durability and material sourcing.
What This Means For You
When shopping for small appliances like fans, look for products that explicitly state the use of recycled materials and offer spare parts or repair manuals. Avoid items that are glued shut or lack a clear take-back scheme, as these designs make it difficult to recover valuable resources at the end of their life. Choosing products designed for disassembly and backed by longer warranties can help shift the market toward more regenerative options.
Data Transparency
This is a category rating based on publicly available data. The following data fields were not submitted by a manufacturer and have been estimated conservatively using open reference data and the category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation):
material_percentagesrecycled_content_pctcountry_of_primary_extractionprimary_sourcing_countriestier1_supplier_countdue_diligence_standardalternative_supplier_existsdisassembly_typerecyclable_streams_pctrecycling_label_compliantdesign_for_disassemblyfastener_typespare_parts_availablespare_parts_years_committedservice_manual_publicifixit_scoreecodesign_in_scopemanufacturing_countriesenvironmental_certificationsthird_party_certificationrba_audit_completedmodern_slavery_statementilo_compliance_claimedip_ratingmodular_designsoftware_support_yearsprimary_material_originregenerative_certificationsclosed_loop_programmeregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Copper — EU Strategic Raw Material (CRM Act 2024/1252)
- China — High concentration risk for copper and rare earth processing
- Recycled content — Assumed 0% due to missing data
- Copper and rare earth magnets — >60% global supply from China
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier verified
How this score was calculated
The HIP Score is a weighted average of seven dimensions measuring material
resilience, supply chain integrity, and end-of-life characteristics.
| Code |
Dimension |
Weight |
Score |
| MSI |
Material Scarcity Index |
0.20 |
3.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
3.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
2.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
2.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| RI |
Regenerative Index |
0.15 |
-7.0 (raw) |
Regenerative Index note: RI scores on a unique scale of -10 to +10.
Before weighting, the raw score is normalised: RI normalised = (RI raw + 10) / 2.
This product's RI band is Depleting.
Weighted HIP Score: 2.7 / 10
· Methodology v1.5
Base weights shown. Some product types use category-specific weight profiles —
see full methodology for details.
Read the full methodology →
Data Sources
This rating draws on the following public sources:
USGS Mineral Resources Program (public domain) · EU Critical Raw Materials List 2023 (CC BY 4.0) · World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation)
All sources are public domain or published under open data licences.
Full source list →
About this rating:
HIP scores are based on public data at the date shown.
They show how well a product holds up over time — not a promise about safety or future supply.
Resourcehip is not liable for choices made based on these ratings.
Scope:
This is a category rating for Electric Fans and does not assess any specific brand or manufacturer.
Individual products may perform better or worse than this baseline.
Produced under Resourcehip Scoring Methodology 1.5 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
AI disclosure:
An AI model scored this rating on our own hardware — no data was sent to the cloud.
A human reviewer checked and approved it before it went live.
Model: qwen3.5:35b.
AI transparency notice →
Not financial or investment advice.
Ratings are for consumer information only.
Dispute this rating · Our methodology · All ratings
Assessed: 2026-06-17 · Next review: 2027-06-02 · Methodology 1.5
