OtterList Standards

OtterList exists to help people discover better products from better businesses. We look for brands making a genuine effort toward sustainability, ethics, transparency, quality, and more intentional production practices.

We don’t expect perfection, but we do prioritize businesses genuinely trying to create products more responsibly and operate with integrity.

✓

Sustainability

Safer materials, lower-waste packaging, better ingredients, and more responsible production whenever possible.

✓

Ethics

Independent brands, ethical sourcing, cruelty-free products, fair labor, and businesses trying to do things the right way.

✓

Transparency

Clear ingredient lists, honest communication, sourcing transparency, and openness about how products are made.

✓

Quality

Thoughtfully made products designed to perform well, last longer, and provide lasting value.

Our Core Requirements

Every product featured on OtterList must meet these eight baseline requirements, along with any additional standards for its category.

8 Core
Requirements
01

Independently Owned

We support independently owned brands over large corporations.

02

Transparency

Complete ingredient and material lists are required for every product.

03

Clean Ingredients & Materials

We prioritize products made with thoughtfully chosen ingredients and materials.

04

Ethical Business Practices

We prioritize brands that demonstrate responsible sourcing, honest marketing, and a genuine commitment to people, animals, and the planet.

05

Sustainability

Products should use more sustainable materials, ingredients, and manufacturing practices whenever possible.

06

Quality & Longevity

We prioritize thoughtfully made products designed to last longer and reduce unnecessary waste.

07

Cruelty-Free & Animal Welfare

Products must not be tested on animals, and we limit animal-derived materials based on their sourcing and impact on animal welfare.

08

Human-Created

Products may not use AI-generated artwork, illustrations, writing, or other creative content when that content is a meaningful part of the product itself.

● CORE STANDARDS

How Our Tags Work

OtterList products can be tagged with Core Standards to help shoppers quickly understand what makes a product or brand different. These tags are a guide, not a guarantee, and our review process will continue improving over time.

Sustainability Standards

These tags highlight materials, ingredients, packaging, and product choices designed to reduce waste and environmental impact.

Sustainable Materials

Made using responsibly sourced, renewable, recycled, or upcycled materials designed to minimize environmental impact.

Non-Toxic

Made without known harmful or hazardous chemicals, based on material disclosures or manufacturer claims.

Clean Ingredients

Products with transparent ingredient lists and ingredients that the brand represents as clean. This designation is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice or a safety certification.

Organic

Uses organically grown ingredients or materials, whether certified or not.

Plastic-Free

Made without plastic in the product or packaging whenever possible.

Low-Plastic

Uses less plastic than conventional alternatives, either in the product, packaging, or both.

Recycled Materials

Made with recycled materials to help reduce waste and the need for newly produced materials.

Low-Waste

Designed to minimize waste through production, packaging, use, or end-of-life disposal.

Refillable

Designed to be refilled or replenished, reducing repeat packaging waste.

Reusable

Designed for repeated use instead of single-use or disposable alternatives.

Long-Life

Durable products built to last longer than conventional alternatives.

Biodegradable

Products or packaging that naturally break down over time into non-toxic components.

Compostable

Products or packaging designed to decompose in home or industrial compost systems.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Packaging designed to reduce waste, such as compostable, recyclable, plastic-free, minimal, or recycled packaging.

Climate Conscious

Takes meaningful steps to reduce or balance carbon impact through operations, production, shipping, or packaging.

Ethical Standards

These tags highlight how a brand treats people, animals, makers, communities, and the larger world around it. All brands on OtterList must be founder-led or independently owned, not part of a major corporation or conglomerate.

Ethical Sourcing

Uses sourcing practices that consider people, animals, workers, communities, and environmental impact.

Fair Labor

Prioritizes fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical treatment for workers.

Local Sourcing

Ingredients, materials, or production are sourced locally or regionally whenever possible.

Artisan-Made

Handcrafted by skilled makers, artists, or craftspeople using intentional production methods.

Small Batch / Handmade

Created in smaller quantities or by hand to support quality, craftsmanship, and lower-waste production.

Vegan

Made without animal-derived ingredients or materials.

Cruelty-Free

Not tested on animals at any stage.

Gives Back

A portion of proceeds, resources, or time supports social, environmental, animal, or community causes.

Woman-Owned

Self-identified as woman-owned, woman-led, or majority female-owned.

Minority-Owned

Self-identified as minority-owned or majority BIPOC-owned.

Family-Owned

Owned and operated by a family, with leadership and decision-making kept independent.

Transparency Standards

These tags help shoppers understand what information a brand clearly shares about ingredients, materials, sourcing, and production.

Ingredients / Materials Listed

Products featured on OtterList must include a complete list of ingredients or materials directly on the listing.

Transparent Sourcing

The brand clearly shares where materials come from, how products are made, or what sourcing standards are used.

Certifications

Verified certifications held by a brand may appear on product cards and product pages, and may also be available as filters on collection pages.

Accuracy & Integrity

Ethical and sustainability information is provided by brands or gathered from publicly available sources. OtterList does its best to review claims carefully, but shoppers should use tags as a helpful starting point.

Artists & Authors

The Artists & Authors section exists to celebrate and support independent creators. Original artwork, books, photography, handmade sculptures, and genuinely crafted items are reviewed under our creator standards, with an emphasis on originality, craftsmanship, and supporting real people creating meaningful work.

To be included, creators must:

  • Create original artwork, handmade goods, or written works.
  • Be the original artist, maker, or author of the products they sell.
  • Operate as an independent creator or small business.
  • Meet OtterList's regular product standards when original work is reproduced on manufactured merchandise.
  • Not sell generic dropshipped or ordinary print-on-demand products, even when they feature original artwork.
  • Not resell products created by others.
  • Not use AI-generated artwork or AI-written books as the primary creative work.
  • Comply with all applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.

Original work and manufactured merchandise are reviewed differently. Manufactured products such as T-shirts, mugs, totes, notebooks, phone cases, and similar merchandise must also meet the regular OtterList standards that apply to that product category. Original artwork alone does not make a conventional manufactured product eligible.

Sustainable print-on-demand products may qualify when the blank product, materials, printing process, and manufacturer meet our regular standards and the creator's original work is the defining feature of the product. Generic dropshipping and ordinary print-on-demand merchandise are not accepted.

Materials may vary depending on the medium, but we do not accept products that conflict with OtterList's core ethical values, including items made from leather, fur, or other materials we believe are inconsistent with our mission.

Our goal is to create a place where people can discover and support genuine artists, makers, and authors while preserving the value of original human creativity.

Apparel Standards

Better materials should make up most of the product.

Manufactured apparel must demonstrate meaningful sustainability through its primary materials—not only through packaging, safer dyes, durability, or ethical manufacturing.

80% minimum

Sustainable Materials

Apparel should generally contain at least 80% verified sustainable materials, with 90–100% preferred.

Up to 20% conventional or synthetic material may be used when needed for stretch, structure, durability, or performance.

What may qualify

  • Certified organic cotton
  • Documented recycled fibers
  • Hemp or responsibly sourced linen
  • Traceable lower-impact cellulosic fibers
  • Responsibly sourced wool with documentation
  • Other verified lower-impact materials

What doesn’t qualify alone

  • Conventional cotton
  • Virgin polyester or nylon
  • Unverified “eco-friendly” materials
  • OEKO-TEX® certification
  • Ethical manufacturing or sustainable packaging

These practices may support a product’s sustainability, but they do not replace the primary-material requirement.

Verification

Material and certification claims must apply to the specific product. We may request:

  • Supplier specifications
  • Certification details
  • Product or purchase records
  • Other sourcing documentation

Every product is reviewed individually. Approval of a brand does not automatically mean every product it sells will qualify.