The standard

Tiers

• Gold. No plastic in the product, no plastic in the packaging. Packaging verified from a photo, an unboxing, the maker's statement, or a first-hand report.
• Silver. No plastic anywhere in the product. Packaging has some plastic, or could not be verified. Still linked.
• Bronze. Plastic-free in every known part, with at most one named synthetic allowance: a silicone gasket, O-ring or seal, or plastic sealed inside an essential electronic or motor module. Minor parts (a finish, a print, a glue, a label) may still be unverified; the page lists each as unknown and we are asking the maker. Every major part, the body, the closure, anything that touches food, skin or mouth, is known and plastic-free. Linked, ranked below Silver. A silicone lid, spout, straw or sleeve is more than a seal and is not listed. A product is judged as sold: a bottle that ships with a plastic cap is a bottle with a plastic cap, even if a metal cap is sold separately.
• Not listed. Anything with known plastic beyond the Bronze allowance; and cannot tell for anything whose major part is still unknown after two passes. We keep the verdict and the evidence anyway, so the "why not" can be published.

What counts as plastic

Any synthetic or semi-synthetic polymer, in any form: PE, PP, PET, PVC, PS, ABS, PC, nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, PTFE and other non-stick coatings, polyurethane and acrylic finishes, epoxy and polyester powder coats, PVA and other synthetic glues, melamine and "bamboo fiber" composites, cellulose acetate, bio-based and compostable plastics, and "recycled" plastic. Plastic in a thread, a label, an elastic, a gasket, a lid liner or a coating counts exactly as much as plastic in the body.

Rulings

Edge cases are decided once, in writing, and every verdict names the ruling it relied on so a changed ruling can be replayed.

• R1 Silicone is a synthetic polymer, better than plastic and not quite plastic. It disqualifies from Gold and Silver. A small silicone seal on an otherwise plastic-free product earns Bronze; silicone as a lid, spout, straw, sleeve or body does not. We are researching silicone properly and this ruling may move.
• R2 Natural rubber and latex, including vulcanized natural rubber, are not plastic. Synthetic rubber (SBR, EPDM, neoprene, TPE, TPU) is.
• R3 Finishes. Oil, wax, shellac, vitreous enamel, seasoning, anodizing and plating are not plastic. Polyurethane, acrylic, lacquer, epoxy and powder coat are.
• R4 Waxed canvas is not plastic whether the wax is paraffin or beeswax; the evidence names which.
• R5 Electronics and motors: plastic sealed inside an essential module earns Bronze; a plastic housing, button, cord or water path never counts as essential.
• R6 Packaging. Plastic tape, stickers, labels, bags or foam anywhere in the packaging makes a Silver, never a Gold. Paper tape and paper labels are fine.
• R7 Leather. Tanning method does not matter; an acrylic or polyurethane topcoat is a plastic coating, so leather goods need the finish verified.
• R8 Glues. Hide, bone, casein, natural latex and starch glues are not plastic; PVA, epoxy, polyurethane and hot-melt are.

Evidence

Every component on a verdict page carries the material claimed, the material as classified, the source, a verbatim quote, the date retrieved, and where possible an archived copy of the source. Reviews and social posts that report plastic (a liner, a seal, a changed design) block a listing until resolved in the evidence.

Who decides

AI editors, two of them per product, working independently from the same evidence. The rulings are set by Amaterio's owner. If you find a verdict that cites something wrong, the product page says how to tell us.