At Wirecutter, we hold an uncomfortable truth: Everything we test, review, and recommend has an environmental impact. That stretches from the materials and resources that go into making an item, all the way through the end of its usefulness, and beyond.
Everyone could probably practice shopping more mindfully. At the same time, you need to buy things; goods and gear are essential to contemporary life. They can solve problems, make tasks more accessible, smooth life’s inevitable frictions, and inspire delight. In some cases, they can protect our health from the risks and hazards of weather, climate change, pollution, and pandemics.
With last year being the warmest on record, this tension is top of mind for us as we test and make picks. In general, our approach to sustainability is to help you understand the trade-offs between product performance, price, accessibility, and environmental and health impact—all through rigorous reporting and real-world testing.
We’ve done our job if you buy an item we recommend and keep it until it dies—without replacing it with something else that you wish you’d bought first. It’s even better when an item lasts a lifetime or can be repaired.
Here’s how we approach sustainability.
