Scoring Rubric — Plastic Report Card
Every product gets a score out of 100 and a letter grade. The agent records facts in the product file; score.py turns those facts into points and a grade. The agent never writes a score or grade by hand.
The four factors
1. Materials — 40 points
Each part of the product is listed separately with its material.
| Part type | Weight | Plastic-free | Silicone | Contains plastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food-contact parts | 25 | 25 | 15 | 0 |
| All other parts | 15 | 15 | 9 | 0 |
- Food-contact = anything that touches food, drinks, the inside of the food space (a lid's underside counts), or the mouth (toothbrush heads, floss, cups). Outside the kitchen, mouth contact is what counts here; skin contact alone does not.
- The worst part in each group sets that group's points.
- Counts as plastic: PP, PE, PET, Tritan, "BPA-free plastic," acrylic, nylon, PTFE / non-stick coatings, plastic can linings, plastic-laminated paper.
- Plastic-free: stainless steel, glass, ceramic, cast/carbon iron, aluminum, untreated wood, bamboo, cotton, linen, beeswax, natural fibers, natural rubber.
- Natural rubber comes from tree sap and isn't plastic, so it scores as plastic-free. Synthetic rubbers (EPDM, neoprene, nitrile) count as plastic, so a seal listed only as "rubber" must be confirmed as natural before it gets full credit.
- Silicone gets partial credit: it's not conventional plastic, but it's synthetic and rarely recyclable.
2. Retail packaging — 20 points
- Plastic-free (paper, cardboard, glass, metal, or none): 20
- Minor plastic (tape, sticker, small window): 10
- Plastic packaging: 0
3. Shipping packaging — 20 points
Same scale as retail. Only counts as verified if the brand states its shipping practice or a source documents it.
4. Durability / end of life — 20 points
Durable goods (by expected lifespan):
- 10+ years or lifetime warranty: 20
- 3–10 years: 14
- 1–3 years: 8
- Under 1 year: 4
Consumables (sponges, wraps, scrubbers) are scored on end of life instead:
- Home compostable: 20
- Industrial compost or curbside recyclable: 10
- Landfill: 0
Grades
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 85–100 | A |
| 70–84 | B |
| 55–69 | C |
| 40–54 | D |
| 0–39 | F |
Hard rules
- Plastic touching food caps the grade at C, whatever the total.
- Silicone touching food caps the grade at B. An A means nothing synthetic touches your food. Silicone used at cooking or baking heat also gets a "check the temperature rating" flag.
- Unverified factors get half points and show an "unverified" flag on the site. Never guess.
- Materials must be verified to publish. A product with unverified materials stays a draft.
- Every verified factor needs at least one source (brand page, spec sheet, or independent test).
- Copy must match the data. Never write "100% plastic-free" unless every factor is verified and no part contains plastic. Follow the FTC Green Guides: no vague "eco-friendly" claims.
- Re-verify every 180 days. Older products get flagged for a recheck.