Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
personal care 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 2.4/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 6.5
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical electric toothbrush looks like today. It's made with care for the people and places involved. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
2.4 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 6.5 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -2.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Electric Toothbrushes, 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 2.4 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 6.5 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
- Look for a user-replaceable battery. This is the single biggest signal. A handle with a swappable battery lasts twice as long as a sealed one. It is also the difference between a recyclable device and an e-waste hazard.
- Confirm a multi-year spare-parts commitment. Brush-head adapters, battery-bay covers, and motor seals are the parts that fail. Manufacturers who stock them as separate spare parts score much higher on Repairability.
- Check for a take-back scheme. Lithium-ion batteries cannot legally go in kerbside recycling in the UK. Without a manufacturer return path, your only legal option is a council battery bin. The rest of the handle goes to landfill.
- Check the warranty. Two years is the EU floor and the category norm. Five years is what the ceiling looks like.
We do not name brands. The four checks above are visible on any manufacturer's product page if you look for them.
From our full buyer's guide →
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
1.5
Why this score ▸
The product relies heavily on lithium and cobalt, both designated as Critical Raw Materials by the EU and US due to high supply risk and concentration in single countries. The absence of recycled content and the use of multiple scarce metals typical of consumer electronics result in a critically scarce rating.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
2.5
Why this score ▸
The electric toothbrush contains rare earth magnets (neodymium) and copper, with rare earths sourced predominantly from China (high concentration risk) and copper from moderate-risk jurisdictions. Due to the lack of submitted due diligence standards, audit verification, or alternative suppliers, the supply chain is highly vulnerable to geopolitical and governance shocks.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The electric toothbrush is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, making material separation impractical without specialist equipment. Only an estimated 20% of the product (metal components) enters practical recycling streams, while the sealed ABS housing and internal heating elements are routinely landfilled. This aligns with the non-recyclable baseline for sealed consumer electronics lacking disassembly features.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
1.0
Why this score ▸
The electric toothbrush is assumed to be glued shut with no spare parts available and no public service manual, fitting the profile of an unrepairable sealed consumer product. Without fasteners or a parts programme, the device is designed for replacement rather than repair.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a moderate-to-high risk jurisdiction, with no submitted third-party audits, environmental certifications, or modern slavery statements. While ILO compliance is not claimed, the absence of independent verification and supply chain transparency places this in the elevated risk category.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product has a 2-year warranty and a stated design life of 4 years, placing it in the below-average lifespan category typical for mass-market small appliances. The lack of an IP rating or modular design prevents a higher score, as the product is not explicitly designed for extended maintenance or multi-decade use.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is scored as Depleting because it is a conventional electric toothbrush with 0% recycled content, no take-back scheme, and no regenerative certifications. Not Depleting because recycled content >= 50% with verified take-back does not apply, as the product lacks both recycled inputs and recovery programmes.
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 toothbrush has a low overall score of 2.0 out of 10, indicating significant environmental challenges. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, which means the product is depleting resources rather than supporting a circular system. The design makes it difficult to repair or recycle, and it contains no recycled materials.
What This Means For You
When shopping for an electric toothbrush, look for models that are designed to be easily repaired with available spare parts and that offer a take-back program for recycling. Prioritize products that use recycled materials and have a longer lifespan to reduce waste. Avoid devices that are glued shut or lack clear instructions for maintenance and end-of-life disposal.
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_complianttakeback_schemedesign_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_programmeend_of_life_programmematerial_origin_certifiedregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Lithium — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- Cobalt — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- Nickel — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- High single-country supply concentration risk
- Rare earths (neodymium) — >60% global supply from China, high concentration risk
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier documented
- No third-party audit verification
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 |
1.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
2.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
2.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
1.0 / 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: 2.4 / 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 Toothbrushes 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: 2027-04-18 · Methodology 1.5
