The Throne Standard
The Throne Standard is one idea, applied to everything we list and to every category we add next. We list only what reaches the top of its field, and we show the data behind every verdict so you can check it yourself.
What the top looks like depends on the category. Sometimes it is a score from 1 to 5, where only the best is a 5 out of 5. Sometimes it is a 100 percent bar you either meet or you do not. The method never changes: we start from the raw facts, whether that is the fibre composition, the ingredient list, the cocoa supply chain, the recycled content or the sustainability features, and we research and verify each one against a named source, in person wherever we can.
Three rules sit behind every listing and every score: the data decides, not the marketing; every figure is traceable to a named source; and nobody pays to change it. Below is how each category is judged today. As we open new categories, they are held to this same standard and added here.
Pure data, read from the source
Every verdict on Hold The Throne is built from a brand’s own data, not its marketing. We do not score from surveys, press releases or a certification badge on its own. We go to the source and read it.
- We read the real SKUs. For clothing we open the brand’s live product listings, the actual SKUs, and read the fibre composition off each label, product by product. The plant fibre percentage that sets the score is counted from those real products, not estimated and not taken from a marketing page.
- We read the full ingredient list and supply chain. For bath and body, food and chocolate we read every ingredient and trace the sourcing, so a naturally derived isolate, an additive or an untraceable supply chain shows up in the data instead of hiding behind a clean label.
- We read the maker’s own published figures. For electronics we take the recycled percentages, repair life and energy data straight from the manufacturer’s environmental report, and for eco stays and tours we verify the real features in person wherever we can.
Because every score is then calculated from that raw data by a single fixed rule, anyone can open the same SKUs and reach the same number. Nothing rests on our opinion. The method is transparent, reproducible and traceable to a named source, so the ranking is one you can check line by line rather than take on trust.
Materials: only 100 percent plant fibre is natural
The rule. Only plant fibre is natural. We list every clothing brand by the percentage of its range that is single fibre plant cloth, read off the label product by product.
- Natural, plant fibre: organic cotton, linen, hemp.
- Not natural, semi synthetic: viscose, rayon, modal, Tencel, lyocell, bamboo. These are chemically processed wood pulp.
- Not natural, animal: wool, silk, cashmere, leather, down.
- Not natural, synthetic: polyester, nylon, elastane, spandex, acrylic.
The score. 100 percent plant fibre is 5 out of 5. 90 to 99 percent is 4, 70 to 89 percent is 3, 40 to 69 percent is 2, and below 40 percent is 1. Only 100 percent earns full marks, so any synthetic content, even a trace of Lycra, keeps a brand off the top.
The exceptions. A few clothing categories cannot be made from plant fibre, so we do not give them a plant fibre score at all. Swimwear and wetsuits need the stretch and water resistance that only synthetics provide, so no swimwear is genuinely sustainable. We still list the best available option, such as wetsuits made from Yulex natural rubber instead of petroleum neoprene, but we show these without a ranking and say plainly why. Listing the least harmful choice in a category that has no natural answer is more honest than pretending a 5 out of 5 exists where it cannot.
Chocolate: bean to bar and 100 percent slave free
The rule. We list only bean to bar chocolate with 100 percent traceable, slave free cocoa.
- Qualifies: made from the bean itself, direct trade with named farms, a supply chain shown to be free of slave and child labour, and open about where the cocoa is grown and how growers are paid.
- Fails: chocolate remelted from bought couverture, or any brand that cannot trace its cocoa and hides its sourcing behind a certification logo.
- We do not list brands that sell chocolate with milk.
Bath and body: 100 percent raw, not merely naturally derived
The rule. We list only 100 percent raw, whole plant, vegan ingredients. We reject naturally derived lab isolates, even from brands with excellent ethics. The test is not how good the company is, it is whether the ingredient is raw or processed.
Naturally derived isolates that fail: industrial citric acid (fermented from mould as a pH buffer), tocopherol (refined Vitamin E, added for shelf life), glyceryl stearate and alcohol (emulsifiers that bind water and oil), ethoxylated surfactants such as ammonium laureth sulfate (synthetic foam), and nature identical preservatives such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Animal by products such as lanolin and beeswax also fail our vegan rule.
Popular brands rejected here, by composition:
| Brand | What it fails on |
|---|---|
| Dr. Bronner’s | Industrial citric acid (mould fermented pH buffer) and tocopherol (refined Vitamin E isolate for shelf life). |
| Weleda | Glyceryl stearate and alcohol emulsions, plus lanolin and beeswax, which are animal and not vegan. |
| Faith in Nature | Ethoxylated surfactants such as ammonium laureth sulfate, and lab synthesised preservatives (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate). |
What clears the standard: raw, whole plant, vegan bars. Friendly Soap (cold process, saponified plant oils, no SLS, no synthetic foam booster), Aleppo (olive and laurel oil, nothing else), and Salt of the Earth and Akoma (whole plant butters and oils).
Food: whole food, plant based and organic
The rule. The Throne Standard for food is three words: whole food, plant based, organic. A product has to clear all three, and this applies to everything edible we list, from legumes and grains to bean to bar chocolate.
- Whole food: kept as close to its natural state as possible, with no refined isolates and no additives, preservatives, flavourings or synthetic fortification. The same raw over processed line we hold in bath and body applies to food.
- Plant based: no animal products at all. We do not list dairy or milk, meat, eggs or honey, in chocolate or anywhere else, because of the emissions, the animal welfare record and the health questions that follow those industries.
- Organic: certified organic (EU Organic, Soil Association or USDA Organic), which means no glyphosate sprayed as a pre harvest desiccant and no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.
Qualifies: a certified organic, single ingredient or minimally processed plant food, grown with no chemicals and traceable to the farm it came from. Fails: conventional crops dried with a glyphosate spray, anything carrying additives, preservatives or fortification, and any product containing dairy or other animal ingredients.
Electronics: recycled, repairable and low waste
The rule. We list electronics by how much of the device is genuinely recycled and repairable, and how little of it is wasted. A device reaches the top only when it meets all of the following:
- a high share of recycled content in its metals and plastics (aluminium, cobalt, copper, steel, tin and rare earths);
- a long repair and software support life, so it is not thrown away early;
- plastic free or fully recycled packaging;
- real energy efficiency; and
- a published, traceable environmental report to back every claim.
Fails, or ranks low: sealed devices that cannot be repaired, virgin plastic and mixed materials that cannot be recycled, short software support, and vague carbon claims with no published data. The recycled percentages and the repair life decide the ranking, not the word green.
Phone cases: 100 percent biodegradable, never plastic
The rule. A phone case qualifies only when it is 100 percent biodegradable or compostable and made from plants, not plastic.
- Qualifies: cases made from plant fibre, FSC certified wood, agricultural by products or genuine bioplastics that break down, with plastic free packaging and, ideally, a take back scheme.
- Fails: TPU, silicone and polycarbonate cases, and part plastic cases sold as eco because they blend in a little plant material. A case that will outlast the phone by centuries in landfill does not belong on the list.
Eco stays: 5 out of 5 for 10 or more eco features
The rule. Eco stays are scored from 1 to 5 against a checklist of 16 real sustainability features: whether the stay is off grid, its energy type and source, how it manages water, whether it grows its own food, its plastic policy, its conservation and preservation work, the materials it is built from, its certifications such as Green Key and Green Globe, and its eco amenities.
The score. A stay that clearly shows 10 or more of the 16 features scores 5 out of 5. Eight to nine features is 4, seven is 3, six is 2, and five or fewer is 1. Ownership is not counted, so a stay cannot score well just for being independent. It has to show the actual features, and we verify them in person where we can.
Tours: locally owned, low impact and conservation first
The rule. We list only low impact tours that keep their money and their care local. A tour qualifies when it is:
- locally owned or community run, and led by local guides;
- built around conservation, wildlife or heritage rather than disturbance;
- kept to small groups; and
- run plastic free, with real waste and water management.
Fails: large operators that extract value from a place, animal attractions built on captivity, and high volume trips with no environmental care. A good tour leaves the place and its people better off, and we always say who owns it and why it qualifies.
How every rating is decided
One rule underneath all of it. We read the whole thing, never a sample, we take a claim only from a named source, and a verdict is never stronger than the evidence behind it. Where we cannot establish something, we say so on the page rather than guess.
Clothing. We read every garment in a brand’s live catalogue and record the fibre of each. The score is the share that is plant fibre, with silk and animal fibres counted as not plant. A percentage is published only once the whole catalogue is read. The bands run by tens: 100 percent is five out of five, 90 to 99 is four, 70 to 89 is three, 40 to 69 is two, below 40 is one. Any elastane or Lycra bars the top.
Beauty. We read the full ingredient list of every product a brand publishes and categorise each ingredient as raw natural, naturally derived or synthetic. The score is the share that is natural or naturally derived, and ninety percent across a complete catalogue is the bar to be listed. Separately we check every certification a brand claims against the certifier’s own register, not the brand’s website, and strip anything we cannot confirm. The verdict is gated on that evidence: genuine only where a full read or a verified certification stands behind it, and where a claim cannot be confirmed against a source we state that plainly and leave the reader to weigh it.
Household cleaning. Judged on being one hundred percent raw whole plant or mineral, and vegan. Industrial isolates such as synthesised citric acid fail even though they began as a plant, because the point is the raw material, not a derived one. The same decade bands apply.
Household paper. Plant fibre tells you nothing here, every roll is plant. We judge source, recycled or fast renewable at the top and virgin forest pulp at the bottom, then bleaching, unbleached or totally chlorine free is natural, then honest labelling checked against lab tests.
Food. Rated per category on how organic and how traceable it is, since a coffee, a flour and an oil are not judged alike.
Kids and toys. Rated on what a child actually holds and mouths. Solid natural wood with a non toxic finish, or natural fibre, rubber and metal, sit at the top, and conventional plastic and PVC at the bottom. A safe rating needs the material published, an honest finish, and a real safety certification, and every product carries the flags a parent cannot see from the label: phthalates, PVC, BPA, PFAS, lead paint, formaldehyde in MDF, flame retardants, plus magnets and button batteries. MDF is not solid wood and bamboo composite is not natural, however they are marketed.
What did not make it. Across every vertical the brands that pass become listings and the rest become reports. Nothing is hidden: a product that falls short still gets a page that says exactly why.
Household cleaning: 100 percent raw, not merely naturally derived
The rule. Household cleaning is judged on the same line as bath and body. Only 100 percent raw, whole plant or whole mineral, vegan ingredients count as natural. We reject naturally derived lab isolates, however good the company is. The test is not the ethics of the brand, it is whether the ingredient is raw or processed.
Natural, raw: soap nuts, the whole dried fruit. Cold process soap saponified from plant oils. Bicarbonate of soda and soda crystals, raw mined minerals. White vinegar, a whole ferment rather than an isolated acid. Clay, salt and whole plant oils.
Not natural, derived isolates: plant derived surfactants such as coco glucoside, decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside. Ethoxylated surfactants such as SLS, SLES and ammonium laureth sulfate. Industrial citric acid, fermented from mould and used as a descaler. Nature identical preservatives such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate and the isothiazolinones. Lab produced enzymes such as protease and amylase.
Not natural, synthetic: optical brighteners, EDTA, phosphates, chlorine bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds and parfum.
Not vegan: tallow soap, beeswax and lanolin.
The score. 100 percent of the range raw and natural is 5 out of 5. 90 to 99 percent is 4, 70 to 89 percent is 3, 40 to 69 percent is 2, and below 40 percent is 1. Only 100 percent earns full marks, so a single glucoside surfactant or one preservative keeps a brand off the top. Brands that do not reach 4 out of 5 are still published, as a data report with their score and the exact ingredients that cost them the marks, rather than as a listing.
Household paper: unbleached, and not felling trees
The rule. All paper is plant fibre, so the fibre alone tells you nothing, every toilet roll on the shelf is plant based. We judge household paper on three things instead.
Source. Recycled paper, or a fast renewable like bamboo or sugarcane bagasse, is the top. Virgin forest pulp is the bottom, because the whole point of an eco roll is not felling trees to wipe. Eucalyptus and acacia are the plantation hardwoods that ordinary supermarket rolls are made from. They are a real plant fibre, not a synthetic, but a felled tree is not the tree free product being sold, so virgin forest pulp cannot reach the top.
Bleaching. Unbleached, or totally chlorine free, is natural. Whitening with chlorine, or with chlorine dioxide which is elemental chlorine free but still a chlorine compound, is a chemical process and is not.
Honest labelling. The fibre has to be what the pack claims. We check independent lab tests. A roll sold as 100 percent bamboo that a lab finds is mostly virgin hardwood is marked down and the dispute is shown, with the source.
The score. 100 percent recycled or 100 percent bamboo, unbleached, undyed, and the fibre claim verified, is 5 out of 5. Chlorine or chlorine dioxide bleaching drops it. A fibre claim that an independent lab disputes is held and shown, not scored, until it is settled. Brands that do not reach the top are still published as a report with the exact reason.
How we score food. The Natural & Plant standard
How we score food
We rate every food on two things. Is it natural, and is it plant based. The cleanest food is a whole food, made of natural plant or mineral ingredients with nothing refined added.
100 percent natural is 5 out of 5. A product made only of natural whole plant or mineral ingredients scores full marks, however it is blended, dried or smoked. Salt, herbs, whole spices, flour, cacao, dried fruit, nuts and seeds are all natural. Cacao butter is a plant fat, not a dairy butter, so it counts as natural too.
Naturalness measures one thing only, how refined the ingredients are. Two things then stop a food scoring full marks: refined or synthetic additives, and animal ingredients.
Oils are judged by how they are made. Cold pressed, virgin, extra virgin and unrefined oils count as natural. Refined oils, vegetable oil, hydrogenated oils and plain seed oils such as sunflower, rapeseed and canola are refined, so they lower the score.
Sweeteners follow the same idea. Minimally processed whole plant sweeteners such as coconut nectar, coconut sugar, maple, date and molasses count as natural. Refined white and cane sugar, glucose and corn syrups, and synthetic sweeteners such as sucralose, erythritol and steviol are refined, so they lower the score.
Animal ingredients such as milk, dairy, whey, egg, honey and gelatin are natural foods, but they are not plant based. Any animal ingredient costs one band and flags the product, so it can never score a full 5. Pure honey, for example, is 100 percent natural but scores 4 out of 5.
We read the composition of every product from the brand’s own labels, and a brand’s score is the average of its products.
The scale. 100 percent is 5 out of 5. 90 to 99 percent is 4 out of 5. 70 to 89 percent is 3 out of 5. 40 to 69 percent is 2 out of 5. Below 40 percent is 1 out of 5.
Version and changes
Cite this document as: The Throne Standard, version 1.0, Hold The Throne, 8 August 2026.
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 8 August 2026 | First versioned publication of the Throne Standard. The scoring bands, the verification method and the 16 point eco checklist are recorded as they stood on this date, so the version can be cited in a compliance file. No criteria were changed to create this version. |
Think a rating is wrong? The corrections process sets out how to challenge it and lists every correction we have made. Our independence policy sets out what we sell and who has paid us.