Pillar
Independent buying guides for everyday sustainable products, based on long-term use rather than press samples.
Most 'eco' product roundups are written from spec sheets. Ours are written after months of use, and often end with the same advice: keep what you own. When a purchase does make sense, we explain the certifications that mean something, the ones that don't, and what a fair price looks like.
Articles
Pets come with a steady stream of packaging. A few changes, starting with food and litter, cut most of it without changing your pet's routine.
2 October 2026 · 7 min
Each one is sold as a fix for indoor air. Only one meaningfully removes fine particles, and the other two still have a job.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Synthetic clothes shed tiny fibres in every wash. Here is what the research says about catching them, from wash bags to built-in filters.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
So-called forever chemicals are being banned from cookware, cosmetics, floss and more in a growing list of places. Here is a plain guide.
2 October 2026 · 9 min
Labels like 'PFOA-free' can mislead. A short guide to the words that matter and the materials that avoid the question.
2 October 2026 · 7 min
More places now require makers to sell parts, tools and manuals. Here is what changed, and how to use it even where no law applies yet.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Three ways to light a home for Diwali, compared on smoke, electricity, cost over the years and what ends up in the bin.
2 October 2026 · 7 min
Twenty gift ideas that skip the plastic hamper and still feel generous, from plants to homemade sweets.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Buying metal on Dhanteras is tradition. Choose something you will use every day for years, and it becomes a sustainability choice too.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Induction is faster and cleaner indoors, but is it cheaper to run? A plain comparison for Indian kitchens.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
These three words appear on bags, cups and packaging, and they mean very different things. A plain guide to which ones actually break down.
2 October 2026 · 9 min
All electric heaters turn electricity into heat, but they do it very differently. Here is which type suits which room, and which costs least to run.
2 October 2026 · 9 min
A heat pump water heater costs more to buy but uses far less electricity. Here is how to work out whether it pays back in your home.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Cold, dry, smoggy winters are hard on skin. A short routine with a few well-chosen products often works better than a crowded shelf.
2 October 2026 · 7 min
As Black Friday and the year-end sales arrive, eco claims multiply. Here is how to tell a genuine claim from marketing.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
A refurbished device can cost far less than new and save the carbon of manufacturing a new one. Here is how to buy one safely.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
Buying second-hand saves money and keeps good things out of landfill. Here is how to do it safely for the three most common categories.
2 October 2026 · 8 min
An artificial tree needs many years of use to beat a real one. A potted tree can beat both. Here is how the options compare.
2 October 2026 · 7 min
Six wooden brushes, twelve months of daily use, and an honest verdict on splintering, mould and price.
3 August 2026 · 8 min
A plain-language guide to the labels on packaging, who audits them, and how much they cost the brand.
8 July 2026 · 10 min
We used five different reusable water bottles daily for a year. Three survived without issues; two didn't.
30 March 2026 · 7 min
Non-toxic cookware claims are everywhere. We narrowed down what the labels actually mean and what performed well in daily cooking.
23 March 2026 · 9 min
We did the actual per-use maths on five reusable-vs-disposable product pairs, instead of just assuming reusable always wins.
16 March 2026 · 8 min
Plenty of eco-labelled cleaning products don't clean as well as conventional ones. These held up against a genuinely dirty kitchen.
9 March 2026 · 7 min
Mattress marketing is full of vague green claims. Here's what certifications and materials actually mean, cutting through the language.
2 March 2026 · 10 min
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The Sunday note
No sponsored links, no shopping hauls. Just what we tested this week, what failed, and the numbers behind it.
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