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 3.0/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.2
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical toaster 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
3.0 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.2 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -3.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Toasters, 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 3.0 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.2 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 for screw-fastened construction. Most toasters are riveted shut with no repair access; a screw-fastened base means a technician or a competent user can replace the element.
- Confirm a warranty of three or more years. The category norm is two years (the legal floor); a longer warranty signals the maker expects it to outlast a single cycle of daily use.
- Look for stainless steel over chrome-on-plastic. Stainless steel survives a decade of daily use; chrome plating peels and cannot be refinished.
- Ask about spare parts. Heating elements, crumb trays, and lever mechanisms fail first; models where these are stocked are a different product to those that are not.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains nichrome and copper, which are classified as critical or high-supply-risk materials by the EU and USGS, driving the scarcity score despite the use of abundant steel and ABS plastic. The absence of submitted recycled content data and extraction country details necessitates a conservative penalty, resulting in a 'Scarce' rating.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The toaster relies on copper and steel, which are sourced primarily from China (approx. 60% of global supply), creating significant concentration risk. With no submitted due diligence standards, alternative suppliers, or audit verification, the supply chain lacks resilience against geopolitical disruptions.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
3.0
Why this score ▸
This toaster is scored as poorly recyclable (3.0) because it is assumed to be glued, preventing practical disassembly, and only metal components are considered practically recoverable in standard recycling streams. The absence of a take-back scheme, recycling labels, or design for disassembly confirms it falls into the mass-market small appliance baseline where plastics and heating elements are typically landfilled.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The toaster is assumed to be glued shut with no spare parts available and no public service manual, classifying it as unrepairable. This aligns with typical sealed mass-market small appliances 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 or environmental certifications. While ILO compliance is not claimed, the absence of verified evidence such as an RBA audit or ISO 14001 certification limits the score to the elevated risk baseline.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
5.0
Why this score ▸
The toaster receives a score of 5.0 based on a 2-year warranty and a stated design life of 6 years, which aligns with the 'Average Lifespan' criteria for mass-market small appliances. While the product lacks an IP rating or modular design, the explicit 6-year design life exceeds the typical 3-5 year baseline for this category, pushing it above the 'Below Average' band.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The toaster is scored as Depleting (-7) because it relies on virgin mined materials with zero recycled content and no take-back scheme, fitting the criteria for conventional manufactured goods. It does not qualify for the Extractive band minimum of -3 because the required 50% recycled content and verified take-back are absent. Consequently, the product actively depletes finite geological reserves with no credible pathway toward regeneration.
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 toaster has an overall HIP Score of 3.0 out of 10, indicating significant challenges in its environmental design. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, which means the product relies heavily on new raw materials rather than recycled ones and is difficult to repair or recycle at the end of its life.
What This Means For You
When shopping for small appliances like toasters, look for models that are designed to be easily taken apart for repair and built with recycled materials. Avoid products that are glued shut or lack available spare parts, as these are likely to end up in landfills sooner than necessary.
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
- Nichrome — contains nickel and chromium (both EU Critical Raw Materials)
- Recycled content assumed at 0% due to missing data
- Copper and steel concentration risk (China >60% global supply)
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier documented
- Single tier-1 supplier dependency
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 |
3.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
2.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
5.0 / 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: 3.0 / 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 Toasters 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
