About Certified Microplastic-Free
Why the certification exists and how the organization operates.
What we are
Certified Microplastic-Free™ is an independent, US-based certification body for consumer products. We operate a published standard, review products against it, and license our certification seal to products that pass. We are not a manufacturer, a retailer, or a marketing agency, and we do not sell consulting on how to pass certification.
We develop and maintain the standard in collaboration with manufacturers and technical experts. The current version, its criteria, and its changelog are public on the About the Standard page.
How the program works
Our review is documentation based. Brands submit a complete bill of materials, supplier attestations, and manufacturing details, and our Scientific Director evaluates that evidence against the standard. Approved products sign a trademark license agreement, receive a certificate with a verifiable number, and appear in our public directory. Certification is renewed annually with confirmation that materials and suppliers are unchanged. The full process is described on How Certification Works, and the safeguards behind our decisions are described on our Governance page.
Why we exist
Plenty of products are marketed as plastic free or microplastic free with nothing behind the words. Shoppers cannot tell a substantiated claim from an aspiration, and brands doing the work get no credit for it. An independent certification with a published standard, a public directory, and a certificate anyone can verify addresses both sides of that problem.
Who reviews certifications
Certification decisions are made by our Scientific Director, who evaluates each submission against the published standard. Eligibility determinations are technical judgments, not commercial ones, and the safeguards separating them from commercial considerations are described on our Governance page.
Matthew Marzo, Ph.D.
Scientific Director
LinkedInDr. Marzo serves as Scientific Director of Certified Microplastic-Free™, where he makes technical eligibility determinations, maintains the certification criteria, and reviews the manufacturing and technical documentation submitted for certification.
Dr. Marzo holds B.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Colorado State University. His work focuses on the intersection of conservation and human health, and he believes that eliminating microplastics in our daily lives is an important step toward a healthier future.
Contact
Questions about the program, the standard, or a specific certification can be sent to info@microfree.org.