At OtterList, brands must meet our minimum ethical and sustainability standards - and only the products that pass our full criteria are featured.

We often hold stricter guidelines than most retailers, so approving a brand doesn’t automatically mean every product they make will appear on OtterList. This approach allows us to partner with a wide range of ethical brands while still curating only the highest-standard products for our community.

Approval Requirements

1️⃣ Sustainability | Minimum Requirements to Be Approved & Listed.

Products must demonstrate at least one verifiable environmental benefit from the tags below.

Material-only products: Must include one or more sustainability tags from the list below.
Products with ingredients and materials: Must include Clean or Organic Ingredients and at least one sustainability tag from the list below.

Sustainability Practices
• Sustainable Materials
• Low-Waste
• Plastic-Free
• Low-Waste (not enough for approval on its own)
• Refillable / Reusable (must also use sustainable materials)
• Long-Life ((not enough for approval on its own)
• Biodegradable / Compostable (this applies to the product, not packaging)
• Eco-Friendly Packaging (not enough for approval on its own)
• Climate Conscious (not enough for approval on its own)

2️⃣ Ethics | Minimum Requirements to Be Approved & Listed.

Every brand must be either:
An Independent Brand (not owned by a parent company), or
Artisan-Made (handcrafted or small-batch production)
and must also demonstrate at least one additional ethical practice from the list below.

Ethical Practices
• Ethically Sourced materials or ingredients
• Fair Labor practices
• Gives Back to social or environmental causes
• Locally Sourced production
• Small Batch / Handmade
• Vegan or Cruelty-Free principles

Note for Artists: Original handmade art is welcome, but must use materials that meet basic safety standards (no harmful chemicals or hazardous components).

Note: Brands using any animal-derived materials must meet additional requirements to ensure humane and ethical treatment of animals.

OtterList features brands that act with independence, fairness, and compassion - valuing both the people who make their products and the communities they impact.

3️⃣ Transparency | Minimum Requirements to Be Approved & Listed.

All product listings on OtterList must have Ingredients and/or Materials Listed - clearly showing what they’re made of.

Transparency means being open about what goes into your products and how they’re created. Every brand on OtterList should provide enough detail for shoppers to make informed, confident choices.

Brands are encouraged to go further by providing:

• Sourcing & Manufacturing Information - where materials or ingredients come from, how products are made, or who makes them.
• Third-Party Verification or Certifications - such as organic, cruelty-free, fair trade, B Corp, or climate-neutral certifications.

The more transparent a brand is about its process and proof, the more trust it earns with the OtterList community.

Animal Derived Materials/Ingredients Policy

Non-vegan products are held to the highest sustainability and ethics standards on OtterList. To qualify, any animal-derived material must be recycled, upcycled, repurposed, or a true byproduct that does not in any way increase demand for new animal production. We do not approve items made from newly sourced animal materials, even if labeled “ethical.” For materials produced by living creatures, they must be gathered in ways that do not harm the animal, do not cause its death, and actively support the health of the species and surrounding ecosystem. All sourcing must be verifiable, transparent, and aligned with long-term environmental benefit.