Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
larger 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 3.3/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.1
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical fridge-freezer looks like today. It's built to last longer than the typical one. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
3.3 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.1 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -2.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Fridge-Freezers, 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 3.3 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.1 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 door gaskets are stocked as spare parts. Fridge door seals are the most common household appliance failure and cost under £20 to replace — if they are available.
- Confirm the compressor carries a five-year warranty. Most modern compressors are rated for 10+ years; a five-year warranty is a reasonable minimum signal of build confidence.
- Look for an energy rating of A or better. A fridge runs 24/7 for 15–20 years; the difference between an A-rated and a D-rated unit adds up significantly over its lifetime.
- Ask about the refrigerant type. R600a (isobutane) and R290 (propane) are lower-GWP refrigerants; R134a has a global warming potential 1,400× that of CO₂.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains copper and aluminium, which are EU Critical Raw Materials, alongside steel and commodity plastics. With 0% recycled content and missing data on extraction origins, the supply chain risk is elevated due to potential single-country concentration for critical metals. This places the score in the Scarce category, reflecting the reliance on materials with significant supply constraints.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The fridge-freezer relies on copper and steel sourced from Poland, but primary material origins are unverified and likely involve high-concentration regions for critical inputs like rare earths or copper. No due-diligence programme or third-party audit is documented, and no alternative suppliers are confirmed, placing the supply chain at the pre-verification baseline for standard appliances.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The product is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, preventing practical material separation. Only an estimated 20% of the weight, likely limited to metal components, enters practical recycling streams, while plastics and heating elements are landfilled. This performance aligns with the pre-verification baseline for sealed consumer electronics lacking disassembly features.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product is a fridge-freezer manufactured in Poland with spare parts available, but the fastener type is assumed to be glued due to missing data, and no public service manual exists. While parts availability prevents a lower rating, the lack of a manual and the conservative assumption of glued assembly restrict the score to the difficult-to-repair range typical of mass-market appliances without explicit repair design documentation.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a moderate-to-high risk jurisdiction, with no submitted third-party audits or environmental certifications. While assembly occurs in Poland, the lack of verified supply chain data and absence of RBA audits or ISO 14001 certification places the score at the pre-verification baseline for this category.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
7.0
Why this score ▸
The product achieves an above-average score due to a stated design life of 12 years, which aligns with the upper limit of the 7-8 band. The 2-year warranty meets the minimum legal requirement but does not independently elevate the score; however, the explicit 12-year design life specification provides the necessary evidence for a score above 5. No IP rating or modular design features were submitted to further increase the rating.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is classified as Depleting because it relies on virgin mined materials with zero recycled content and lacks a take-back scheme. This aligns with the Depleting band criteria for conventional appliances where no credible pathway toward regeneration exists. It does not qualify for the Extractive band minimum of -3 because the required threshold of 50% recycled content with a verified take-back program is not met.
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 fridge-freezer has a HIP Score of 3.3 out of 10, which matches the current market baseline for this category. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, indicating that the product relies entirely on new materials and does not support a circular lifecycle. Overall, the design prioritizes a long lifespan but currently lacks the features needed for material recovery or recycling.
What This Means For You
When shopping for a fridge-freezer, look for models that explicitly state they use recycled content and offer a take-back or repair program. Prioritize products with clear information on material origins and those designed for easy disassembly to extend their useful life. Choosing appliances with these features helps shift the market away from relying solely on virgin mined resources.
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_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
- Copper — EU Strategic Raw Material (CRM Act 2024/1252)
- Aluminium — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- 0% recycled content
- No due-diligence programme documented
- Single primary supplier with no alternative
- Primary material origins unverified
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 |
4.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
4.0 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
7.0 / 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: 3.3 / 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 Fridge-Freezers 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: 2027-04-28 · Methodology 1.5
