Every brand here earns its place.
Sustainability has been claimed, misused, and stretched beyond meaning by too many brands for too long. So here is exactly what we check, how we check it, and what it actually means for every product you see on Ziracle.
The short version
If you want the full detail, it's all below.
If you want the one-minute version, here it is.
Every brand on Ziracle is assessed against three standards before anything is listed. We call them Kind, Healthy, and Sustainable. They apply across beauty, apparel, home, food and drink, wellness, kids and baby, and refills and reusables.
Kind
Fair wages, safe conditions, freedom of association. No forced labour, no child labour, no sourcing from the Xinjiang Uyghur Region or Turkmenistan. No sandblasted clothing. Ethically sourced mica only. Animal welfare assessed across every category, with vegan and cruelty-free clearly labelled so you can filter by what matters.
Healthy
Free from ingredients that do not belong in your body, on your skin, or in your home. No parabens, phthalates, PFAS, formaldehyde donors, petroleum derivatives, BPA, microbeads, or GMOs in food. No virgin polyester in fashion. GOTS-certified cotton preferred. Non-toxic baseline applied consistently across every category.
Sustainable
Real, verifiable reductions in environmental impact. Responsible materials, lower-impact production, less waste. No single-use plastic packing fillers. FSC-certified timber. No-conflict palm oil. Circular thinking actively rewarded across categories. Brands assessed on operational change, not offsets on paper.
That is the short version. Every brand is clearly labelled with the credentials it has earned so you can filter by what matters most to you. What follows explains how each standard is applied in practice, the specific ingredients and materials we prohibit, and the certifications we recognise.
Contents
01 / Why we spell this out
Why we spell this out
Most platforms say they care about sustainability. Far fewer show you what that means. You're right to ask. "Natural," "eco-friendly," "responsible" have been attached to products that don't deserve them. A nice label and a brown paper bag do not make a brand ethical.
The only way to earn trust back is to be specific. So here is the specific version. Every policy. Every prohibited ingredient. Every certification we look for, and why. This is also the page we hold ourselves to. The standards we apply to brands on this platform are the same ones we apply to how Ziracle operates.
02 / Our approach
Our approach - high bar, wide door, hard floor
The traditional approach to ethical retail is binary. A brand either meets the standard or it doesn't. That model has a ceiling. Real progress comes from bringing more people in, not from building higher walls around those already inside.
A brand genuinely improving deserves to be here. A shopper just starting deserves to find a home here too.
So Ziracle works on three principles at once.
High bar
Being on Ziracle should mean something. Every brand is assessed against the same three standards before anything is listed, and reviewed regularly afterwards. Every product is clearly labelled with the credentials it has earned, so what you see is what we've actually checked, not what we've been told.
Wide door
We work with brands on their way, not just brands that have already arrived. Most of the brands here are small, independent businesses with limited resources and real conviction. We support them to meet the standard, not just measure them against it. Progress matters as much as perfection.
Hard floor
There are things we will never allow, no matter who's selling. Forced labour. Child labour. Sourcing from regions with systemic state-sanctioned exploitation. Ingredients we know are dangerous to human health or the environment. The baseline is not negotiable. We hold that line whether anyone is watching.
03 / Our promise
The Three Standards
Every brand on Ziracle is assessed against three standards: Kind. Healthy. Sustainable.
Kind
People and animals are treated well at every stage a product touches.
Healthy
Free from ingredients that don't belong in your body, on your skin, or in your home.
Sustainable
Real, verifiable steps to reduce impact on the planet.
They apply across Beauty and self-care, Apparel and style, Home and sanctuary, Food and drink, Wellness and vitality, Kids and baby, and Refills and reusables.
04 / Kind
Kind
“People and animals are treated well at every stage a product touches.”
Kind covers the human beings and animals along every supply chain that feeds a product. The people who grow the raw materials. The workers who make the finished thing. The animals whose welfare is affected by how ingredients and materials are sourced.
Here's what that means in practice.
Workers' rights
Every brand on Ziracle commits to responsible labour standards throughout their supply chain. That commitment covers their own operations and extends to their suppliers.
What we require:
No forced labour. In any form, at any tier.
No child labour. Anywhere in the production process.
No discrimination. On any grounds, including race, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Reasonable working hours. Within national law, with additional limits on voluntary overtime.
Safe working conditions. Protective equipment, adequate ventilation, clean water, emergency procedures in place.
Legal contracts. For every worker, written in a language they can understand.
Freedom of association. Workers can join or form a trade union without penalty. Collective bargaining rights are protected.
These are not aspirations. They are the floor.
Sandblasting is a finishing technique used on distressed clothing, particularly denim. The process fires fine particles at high velocity against fabric to create a worn, aged appearance. Without proper ventilation, safety equipment, and training, it puts workers at serious risk of silicosis, an irreversible and often fatal lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust. Other abrasive media used in the process, including aluminium oxide and silicon carbide, carry their own serious respiratory risks.
The health risks are well documented. The practice is banned or restricted in several countries. On Ziracle it is not permitted in any product. We do not list sandblasted items and we will not approve the technique until it can be independently audited at every stage of production to confirm that full respiratory protections and safety training are in place for every worker involved.
Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and lustre to cosmetics. Eyeshadow, nail polish, sun cream, deodorant, shampoo, highlighters. It is widespread in beauty formulations. It is also, in significant parts of the global supply chain, associated with serious exploitation.
An estimated 25% of the mica in global circulation comes from illegal mines in the Jharkhand and Bihar regions of India. In those regions, only around 10% of mines are legal, which means most are unregulated and most labour protections are unenforceable. Child labour is widespread. The conditions are dangerous, with children and adults working in narrow shafts without protective equipment, and fatalities going largely unreported.
Every brand on Ziracle that uses mica must source it ethically. Mica must come from legal, audited mines with documented protections in place, or from synthetic alternatives. We follow the Responsible Mica Initiative, a global coalition working to move from policy commitments to practice across the supply chain.
Kind extends beyond a brand's own factory floor.
We require every brand to have clear systems in place to assess and monitor their Tier 1 suppliers, meaning the factories and producers they work with directly. Documentation is a minimum requirement.
For Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers further up the chain, brands must take appropriate steps to ensure compliance. That means audits, documentation requests, contractual requirements passed down the chain, and real responses when issues are identified.
Transparency and regular reporting are required, not optional. Brands must be able to show where their materials come from, who makes them, and under what conditions. Supply chain opacity is a red flag. Brands that can't demonstrate meaningful visibility across their production chain aren't ready to join.
When issues come up, we work with brands to address them. The goal is improvement, not just gatekeeping. We'd rather help a brand fix a problem than turn them away for having one, provided the commitment to fixing it is genuine.
Our cotton policy and broader supply chain requirements explicitly exclude sourcing from the Xinjiang Uyghur Region of China and Turkmenistan, where state-sanctioned forced labour is widely documented in academic research, journalism, and government reports from multiple countries.
Every brand must have clear written policies against sourcing from regions known for forced labour, and must demonstrate robust due diligence that goes beyond self-declaration. Third-party audit trails where relevant.
Animal welfare is assessed across every category. We look at whether products have been tested on animals, whether animal-derived ingredients and materials are used, and where they are, what welfare standards apply to their sourcing.
Our strong preference is for products that cause no harm to animals. The majority of what you'll find here reflects that. Every product carries clear labelling so you can see exactly what it contains and filter by vegan or cruelty-free if those are the standards that matter most to you.
Kind - your questions answered
Every brand applying to the platform provides documentation covering supply chain management, labour standards, and third-party certifications where held. We review that documentation against our requirements and follow up on anything unclear. For Tier 1 suppliers, documentation is a minimum. For Tier 2 and Tier 3, we look for evidence of active engagement - audits, questionnaires, contractual requirements passed down the chain. Where a brand holds independent certifications like Fair Wear Foundation, WRAP, or Fairtrade, that carries more weight than self-declaration. We also reassess brands on an ongoing basis, so the standard doesn't expire on listing day.
It depends on what the problem is and whether the brand is willing to fix it. For issues we consider part of the hard floor - forced labour, child labour, sourcing from excluded regions - the brand comes off the platform. For issues that reflect a gap rather than a red line, we work with the brand to address it. That might mean changing a supplier, improving documentation, or adopting a certification. The goal is improvement, not just gatekeeping. We'd rather help a brand fix something than turn them away, provided the commitment to fixing it is genuine.
Because state-sanctioned forced labour in both regions is widely documented in academic research, journalism, and government reports from multiple countries. This isn't a contested fact - it's a well-evidenced one. Every brand on Ziracle must have clear written policies against sourcing from these regions and must demonstrate due diligence that goes beyond self-declaration. Third-party audit trails are expected where relevant, particularly for cotton. We'd rather a brand lose access to a cheaper supplier than a human being be forced to work against their will.
No, but all mica on Ziracle is ethically sourced. Natural mica can be sourced responsibly from legal, audited mines with documented worker protections in place. Synthetic mica is also approved. What isn't allowed is mica from illegal or unregulated mines, where child labour and dangerous working conditions are widespread - particularly in parts of India's Jharkhand and Bihar regions. We follow the Responsible Mica Initiative's work and require every brand using mica to source it through channels that meet the standard.
Our strong preference is for products that cause no harm to animals, and the majority of what you'll find here reflects that. Every product is clearly labelled, and you can filter by cruelty-free or vegan if those are the standards that matter most to you. Where a brand uses animal-derived ingredients or materials, we assess the welfare standards behind the sourcing and label clearly. We think letting the reader choose, with full information, is more useful than a blanket rule that excludes brands with good welfare practices but non-vegan products.
Supply chain tiers describe how far up the production chain a supplier sits. Tier 1 is the factory or producer a brand works with directly - where the finished product is made. Tier 2 is the next step back - typically the mill that made the fabric, or the manufacturer of the ingredients. Tier 3 is further up still - the raw materials at origin, like the cotton farm or the mineral mine. The further up you go, the harder visibility becomes. It's also where the hardest ethical questions often sit, which is why we require brands to work on Tier 2 and Tier 3 visibility even where full audit trails aren't yet possible.
05 / Healthy
Healthy
“Free from ingredients that don't belong in your body, on your skin, or in your home.”
Healthy means products that genuinely support wellbeing, not products that just avoid the worst of what conventional manufacturing uses. The specifics differ by category. Here's what applies where.
Beauty and personal care - ingredients we avoid
Every product in our Face and Skincare, Hair Lab, Body and Bath, Colour and Cosmetics, Scent and Spirit, and Grooming and Shaving ranges is checked against a comprehensive list of ingredients we avoid across the platform. These chemicals show up in conventional beauty products because they're cheap, shelf-stable, and good at short-term performance. Many are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. The impact ranges from surface irritation to long-term hormone disruption, and some are persistent environmental pollutants that accumulate in waterways and wildlife.
The current avoided list, grouped by category:
Preservatives and antimicrobials. Parabens in all forms (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, phenyl paraben). Triclosan and triclocarban. Methylisothiazolinone. Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. Bronopol. Glyoxal.
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde donors. Formaldehyde itself. Quaternium-15. DMDM hydantoin. Imidazolidinyl urea. Diazolidinyl urea. Polyquaternium-15.
Petroleum-based ingredients. PABA. Benzene. Petrolatum. Petroleum jelly. Paraffin oil. Paraffin wax. Mineral oil. Toluene.
Phthalates. DBP, DMP, DEP, and any other phthalate plasticisers.
Synthetic additives. BHA. BHT. PEG compounds in all variants. EDTA salts and compounds in all forms.
UV filters. Oxybenzone. Octinoxate.
Plastics and pollutants. BPA plastics. Microbeads.
Other. Talc. Any substance listed on the Substances of Very High Concern register under REACH regulations. Genetically modified organisms.
Across our beauty and personal care range, we currently avoid these animal-derived ingredients:
Lanolin. Shellac. Glycerine of animal origin. Casein. Squalane of animal origin (typically shark-derived). Guanine. Oleic acid of animal origin. Placenta in all forms. Animal hair. Stearic acid of animal origin. Carmine (also known as cochineal, natural red 4, E120, and C.I. 75470). Collagen of animal, bovine, or marine origin. Elastin. Keratin. Beeswax.
Plant-based and synthetic alternatives exist in every case. Plant oils. Plant butters. Soya waxes. Where a brand uses an animal-derived ingredient, we assess the welfare standards behind its sourcing and label it clearly so you can make your own choice.
Shop the full cruelty-free beauty range or explore by goal: healthy skin is a good starting point.
Polyester is one of the most common materials in fashion and activewear, valued for its elasticity, durability, and moisture-wicking. But conventional virgin polyester is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource extracted through carbon-intensive processes. The production of virgin polyester accounts for over 40% of the fashion industry's total emissions. It's not biodegradable and can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill.
Ziracle doesn't approve virgin polyester across Clothing and Basics, Activewear, Intimates and Sleep, Footwear and Care, or Jewellery and Accessories.
Recycled polyester, known as rPET, is approved. It's made from post-consumer plastic waste, typically discarded bottles and reclaimed fishing nets, which diverts plastic from landfill and reduces demand for virgin petroleum extraction. Compared to virgin polyester, rPET uses around 50% less energy, produces around 75% less CO₂, and uses around 90% less water.
We're honest about the limitations. Recycled polyester still sheds microplastics when washed, and poly-blend fabrics that combine polyester with other fibres are often difficult to recycle at end of life. These are real challenges and we don't pretend them away.
Our strong preference across the fashion range is for cotton certified to GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), Soil Association Organic, or an equivalent credible standard. Where brands are working towards certification, we assess the standards they're currently meeting on their merits.
Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically intensive crops in the world. It covers around 2.5% of the world's cultivated land but accounts for 16% of global insecticide use. The pesticides and fertilisers contaminate groundwater, damage soil health, and pose serious risks to farmworkers.
GOTS certification is our primary benchmark. It requires at least 70% certified organic fibre content in the finished product. It also requires environmentally responsible processing at every stage after the cotton leaves the farm, covering dyeing, finishing, and manufacturing. And it requires independently audited social compliance in line with International Labour Organisation norms throughout the supply chain.
Upcycled and recycled cotton are approved. Where a brand is rescuing existing fabric from the waste stream rather than sourcing virgin textiles, organic certification isn't required for the cotton content. Recovering and reusing existing material is a sound environmental choice in its own right.
Labour ethics certifications are required for all brands producing cotton-based products. Acceptable standards include Fair Wear Foundation, WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), or an equivalent independently audited organisation.
The majority of fashion brands on Ziracle use materials free from animal products and by-products. That's the direction we encourage, and it's reflected in what you'll find across Clothing and Basics, Footwear and Care, bags, and accessories.
Plant-based material innovation has moved quickly and the results are impressive. Brands on Ziracle use:
Pineapple leather (Piñatex). Made from the waste leaves of pineapple plants.
Apple leather. Made from apple peel and core waste from the food processing industry.
Mushroom leather (including Mylo). Made from mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms.
Cactus leather (Desserto). Derived from the nopal cactus, which requires very little water to grow.
Grape leather. Made from the skin, seeds, and stalks left over from wine production.
The majority of food and drink on Ziracle is plant-based. Most brands produce products free from meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal-derived ingredients. Everything is labelled so you can filter by vegan, plant-based, or dairy-free depending on what matters to you.
All food and drink on the platform excludes artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup entirely. Where sweetness is needed, natural alternatives are approved:
Fruit concentrates. Barley malt syrup. Dates and date syrup. Maple syrup. Molasses. Coconut sugar. Agave syrup. Rice syrup. Stevia. Chicory root fibre.
Beverages meet low-sugar standards consistent with the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy framework. Products sit below the threshold or use only naturally occurring sugars.
Beyond sweeteners, these are excluded from all food and drink:
High-fructose corn syrup. Monosodium glutamate. Synthetic trans fats. Artificial colours. Added sulphites beyond naturally occurring levels. BHA. BHT. Potassium bromate. Sodium nitrates and nitrites. Genetically modified organisms.
Products can be found by goal: gut health and hormonal health. Organic is a key filter across the food and drink range.
Products in Clean Home, Kitchen and Dining, Home and Decor, Bedroom and Sleep, Bathroom and Ritual, and Garden and Pet are assessed against a non-toxic materials standard.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are prohibited in all forms. Sometimes called "forever chemicals" because of how slowly they degrade. Some variants take over a thousand years to break down. They're used in food packaging, non-stick coatings, stain-resistant treatments, and waterproofing. They enter the environment through production waste and product disposal. They're highly persistent in both the environment and the human body, with documented effects on reproductive function, developmental health, and immune system response.
APEOs (alkylphenol ethoxylates) are also prohibited. These synthetic surfactants don't break down cleanly in wastewater treatment. Their breakdown products, including nonylphenol, are toxic to aquatic life and act as endocrine disruptors.
Timber must be sourced responsibly. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification is the primary benchmark. Fairtrade-certified timber is also approved. Upcycled, reclaimed, and recycled wood are actively preferred wherever possible.
Palm oil is subject to a no-conflict policy. Every brand that uses palm oil must use only sustainable, fully traceable palm oil, free from deforestation, habitat destruction, peatland expansion, and human rights violations. RSPO certification is our primary benchmark.
The healthy standard extends fully into Wellness and Vitality. Products across Nutrition and Superfoods, Stress and Sleep, Women's Health, Sexual Wellbeing, and Hygiene and Health are assessed against the same ingredient and formulation standards as beauty and food. No prohibited sweeteners. No parabens. No petroleum derivatives. No GMOs.
Women's health products covering Period and Cycle Care, Fertility, Menopause, and Pregnancy are assessed with particular care. Products used at these stages of life come into close contact with sensitive physiological systems. The prohibited ingredient list applies fully and without exception.
The same standards that apply across the platform apply in full to Baby, Kids, Toys, Books, and Feeding and Bathing. No prohibited ingredients. No synthetic dyes or surface treatments that fall outside the platform standard.
Baby skincare products carry the same non-toxic formulation requirements as adult skincare. Infant skin is thinner, more permeable, and more sensitive than adult skin, and absorption of topically applied ingredients is proportionally higher. We expect brands producing baby skincare to apply even greater caution in their formulation decisions, not less.
Toys are assessed for material safety. Wooden toys must meet the timber sourcing standard. Soft toys and plushies must be free from synthetic filling materials and dyes that fall outside the textiles standard.
Healthy - Your questions answered
No. Parabens in all forms - methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, and phenyl paraben - are prohibited across every beauty, personal care, and wellness product on the platform. Parabens are synthetic preservatives that can be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, and some have been linked to endocrine disruption. Plenty of effective alternatives exist, and every brand on Ziracle uses them. If you want to go further and filter by specific free-from criteria, every product is labelled with its full ingredient credentials.
Virgin polyester is made from newly extracted petroleum. It's carbon-intensive to produce, non-biodegradable, and accounts for over 40% of the fashion industry's total emissions. Recycled polyester (rPET) is made from post-consumer plastic waste - bottles, fishing nets, reclaimed textiles - which diverts plastic from landfill and reduces demand for virgin petroleum. Compared to virgin polyester, rPET uses around 50% less energy, 75% less CO₂, and 90% less water. We approve rPET and don't approve virgin polyester. We're also honest that rPET isn't perfect - it still sheds microplastics - but it's a meaningful improvement on the alternative.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is one of the most rigorous certifications available for textile production. It requires at least 70% certified organic fibre content, environmentally responsible processing through every stage after the cotton leaves the farm (dyeing, finishing, manufacturing), and independently audited social compliance aligned with International Labour Organisation norms. It covers both the environmental and human dimensions of cotton production, which many other certifications don't. We accept other credible standards - Soil Association Organic, for example - and we also approve upcycled and recycled cotton. GOTS is the benchmark, not the only option.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals used in food packaging, non-stick coatings, stain-resistant treatments, and waterproofing. They're called "forever chemicals" because some variants take over a thousand years to degrade. They're highly persistent in the environment and in the human body, with documented effects on reproductive function, developmental health, and immune system response. Every home, kitchen, and lifestyle product on Ziracle is PFAS-free. Brands that use PFAS in any form don't meet the healthy standard.
We rely primarily on documentation, third-party certifications, and ingredient or material specifications provided by the brand, verified against credible independent standards where available. We don't run independent laboratory testing of every product - no ethical marketplace does, and anyone claiming otherwise is overstating their capability. What we do is require evidence, check it seriously, follow up on anything that doesn't add up, and reassess brands on an ongoing basis. Where third-party certification is available (GOTS, B Corp, Leaping Bunny, FSC), we consider it significantly stronger than self-declaration.
Regularly, as new evidence emerges and regulations evolve. The current list reflects what the science, regulatory frameworks like REACH, and credible independent bodies support as meaningful exclusions. When a new ingredient is identified as harmful - or when an existing one is reassessed and the evidence shifts - we update the policy and work with brands on transition where needed. The list isn't static and isn't meant to be. It's a live document that reflects what we currently know, not what was known five years ago.
06 / Sustainable
Sustainable
“Real, verifiable steps to reduce impact on the planet.”
Sustainable means the brand has taken real, verifiable steps to reduce its impact on the planet. Not bought an offset to paper over business as usual. Not switched to recycled packaging while ignoring the rest of the supply chain. Real steps, across materials, production, supply chain, and the way the business operates day to day.
What we look for across all categories
For every brand applying to the platform, we review environmental impact across the full production cycle: How materials are sourced. How much energy and water are consumed in manufacturing. How waste is managed. What emissions come from production and logistics. What happens to the finished product at end of life.
We look for brands that have moved from awareness to action. A brand that can articulate why conventional production is harmful but hasn't yet changed anything is not the same as a brand that has restructured its supply chain, switched materials, and invested in measuring its own footprint. We look for the second kind, and we work with brands clearly on the way there.
The most sustainable product is one that doesn't need to be produced again. Brands in Refills and Reusables are working towards closed-loop models: products designed to be refilled, reused, or recovered at end of life rather than thrown away after a single use.
Circular thinking is something we actively look for and reward across all categories. A brand in beauty or home that has redesigned its packaging for reuse, takes back empties, or uses materials with a documented end-of-life pathway is demonstrating the kind of thinking we want more of on the platform.
We're working to eliminate single-use plastic from the platform entirely. Ziracle is a marketplace. Every order is fulfilled directly by the brand you buy from. That means packaging is in the hands of our brands, and we hold them to a clear standard.
Prohibited. Polystyrene packing chips. Inflated plastic air pillows. Unnecessary secondary packaging.
Actively supported. Biodegradable and compostable materials. Reusable packaging. Minimal packaging that still protects the product.
We track progress as part of our ongoing brand reviews.
The majority of brands on Ziracle are small, independent businesses. Many are founder-run. Most don't have sustainability teams or compliance departments. They have individuals who care deeply about doing things the right way and are working with limited resources to make that real.
Part of what the sustainable standard means in practice is that these businesses are supported to meet it, not just measured against it and turned away if they fall short. We share best practices. We help brands understand where their supply chain documentation needs to improve. We work with them to build the systems they need.
A better platform means better brands. Better brands means working with the ones that are genuinely trying, helping them get where they need to be, and holding the line with the ones that aren't.
Sustainable - Your questions answered
Offsets on their own are not enough. A brand that has bought offsets without changing anything in its own production isn't meeting our standard. What we look for is evidence of real operational change - switching to lower-impact materials, reducing energy and water use in production, redesigning packaging, building circularity into product design, improving supply chain traceability. Offsets can be part of a broader picture, but they can't replace the actual work of reducing impact at source. A brand that's doing both is welcome. A brand that's doing only offsets isn't ready.
Palm oil is subject to a no-conflict policy. Every brand using palm oil must use only sustainable, fully traceable palm oil - free from deforestation, habitat destruction, peatland expansion, and human rights violations. RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certification is the primary benchmark. We don't support a blanket ban on palm oil because responsible cultivation supports millions of smallholder farmers and because palm oil alternatives often have higher land, water, and carbon footprints per unit of product. But conflict palm oil - the kind associated with deforestation and exploitation - isn't permitted in any product on the platform.
Ziracle is a marketplace. Every order is fulfilled directly by the brand you buy from, which means packaging is in the brands' hands, not ours. We hold them to a clear standard. Polystyrene packing chips, inflated plastic air pillows, and unnecessary secondary packaging are all prohibited. Biodegradable, compostable, and reusable alternatives are actively supported, and we work with brands moving in that direction. We're honest that the range of quality across the platform is still wider than we want it to be, and improving packaging consistency is one of the things we're actively working on.
Both, within a clear structure. Every brand must meet the baseline - the hard floor of prohibited practices, materials, and ingredients - before anything is listed. Within that, we work with brands that are genuinely improving, not just brands that have already arrived. Most of the brands on Ziracle are small, independent businesses without sustainability teams or compliance departments. Turning them away for not yet being perfect would mean a shallower platform with worse brands. We'd rather help a genuinely good brand improve than only list the ones that already had the resources to finish the work.
Honestly: this is one of the hardest parts of the job, and we're open about the fact that industry-wide lifecycle analysis methodology is still maturing. We look at materials, production energy and water use, waste management, emissions from production and logistics, and end-of-life considerations. We work with brands that are investing in proper lifecycle analysis, and we'll be more transparent about what we find as the methodology becomes more consistent across the industry. Claiming perfect measurement would be dishonest. Claiming active work on it is accurate.
A closed-loop product is one designed to be refilled, reused, or recovered at end of life rather than thrown away after a single use. A refillable cleaning spray, a return-and-recycle skincare scheme, packaging designed to be composted back into the soil - these are all examples. We actively look for and reward circular thinking across every category because the most sustainable product is one that doesn't need to be produced again. Brands working on this properly - not just slapping "recyclable" on a label but designing for reuse from the outset - are demonstrating the kind of thinking we want more of on the platform.
07 / Process
How we assess brands
Every brand applying to join Ziracle goes through the same structured assessment before anything is listed. Our process combines human judgement with technology-assisted review, which is how a small team holds a consistent standard across hundreds of brands.
We review documentation and evidence across all three pillars:
- Supply chain management systems.
- Labour standards and certifications.
- Environmental practices and policies.
- Ingredient and material specifications, with the evidence behind them.
- Third-party certifications where held, verified to be current and applicable to the products being listed.
For Tier 1 supplier compliance, documentation is a minimum requirement. Brands must show us their direct supplier relationships and the standards those suppliers meet. For Tier 2 and Tier 3, we look for evidence of appropriate engagement. Audits. Questionnaires. Contractual requirements passed down the chain. Real responses when issues come up.
Brands must have active systems in place to monitor their own compliance over time and report on it. Things change in supply chains. Ingredients change. Manufacturing locations change. We expect brands to tell us when material changes happen and to keep documentation that reflects their current position.
We review existing brands on a regular basis. The standard doesn't expire on listing day. When questions come up during a review, we engage with brands directly and give them the chance to respond. When practices improve, we recognise that and work with brands to reflect it. The relationship is meant to be a working one in both ways.
08 / Recognised standards
Certifications and accreditations
Third-party certification is one of the most reliable ways to verify that a brand's claims stand up. A certification issued by an independent body that requires documentation, on-site audits, and regular reassessment carries significantly more weight than a self-declared claim on a brand's website.
The certifications we look for include:
Textiles and apparel
GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Fair Wear Foundation, WRAP, Bluesign, Textile Exchange, Cotton Made in Africa.
Beauty and personal care
Soil Association Organic, Ecocert, Leaping Bunny, Vegan Society, PETA.
Food and drink
Soil Association Organic, Fairtrade, Non-GMO Certified, RSPO (for palm oil).
Forestry and materials
FSC, Fairtrade timber, Fairmined Gold, Cradle to Cradle.
Whole-business certifications
B Corp, Fair Labor Association, BSCI, EU Ecolabel, Nordic Ecolabel.
Regulatory frameworks
These span fashion, beauty, food and drink, wellness, and home. Not every certification is relevant to every brand, and we don't expect or require brands to hold all of them. What matters is that the certifications a brand holds are relevant to the specific claims they make, are current, and are issued by a body whose standards we've assessed.
09 / Foundations
Built on B Corp foundations
The platform behind Ziracle was a Certified B Corp, assessed not just on products but on every part of how the business operated: governance, treatment of workers, community impact, environmental practices, and the experience of customers.
B Corp certification is issued by B Lab, an independent non-profit organisation. It cannot be self-declared. It requires a company to complete a detailed assessment of its practices and impact, submit documentation to support the assessment, and meet a minimum score threshold. Certification is reassessed on a regular cycle.
The platform earned that certification and was subsequently named Best for the World by B Lab, a recognition given to companies that score in the top 5% of all Certified B Corps globally. This is not a participation award. It requires demonstrated performance, independently assessed, against one of the most rigorous business certification frameworks that exists.
Ziracle is a new entity and we are working towards recertification under B Lab's framework. In the meantime, the standards that earned the original certification are the standards we hold ourselves and our brands to.
That history is the foundation this platform is built on. It shapes what we expect from the brands here, how we structure our own operations, and how seriously we take the gap between what a business says and what it does.
10 / Honest gaps
What we're working on
Being honest about where the standard is strongest, and where it's still improving, is part of how we expect to earn trust. Three things we're actively working on right now.
Packaging across the brand base.
Every brand on Ziracle meets our baseline requirements on single-use plastic and secondary packaging, but the range of quality is still wider than we want it to be. We're working with brands to move faster on biodegradable, compostable, and reusable alternatives, and raising the bar as the options become more widely available.
Tier 3 supply chain visibility.
Tier 1 documentation is strong. Tier 2 is good. Tier 3 is the hardest part of any supply chain to see into, and it's the part of the work we expect to spend the most time on over the next two years.
Lifecycle impact measurement.
Measuring the full environmental footprint of a product, from raw material to end of life, is still an immature practice across the industry. We're working with brands investing in proper lifecycle analysis, and we'll be more transparent about what we find as the methodology becomes more consistent.
This is not everything. It's the honest shortlist of where the next improvements are coming from.
A platform that claims everything is already perfect is not one worth trusting. A platform that names the gap and closes it is.
Shop by what you care about
The standards above apply to every brand on Ziracle. Wherever you are on your own journey, whether you've been shopping this way for years or you're just starting to think about it, there is a way in that works for you.
Shop by goal.
Good for you. Good, full stop.