About the Standard

Scope

The standard applies to finished consumer products and their primary packaging. We focus on materials that contact the user or the contents during normal use.

Core criteria

1. Materials: Components in contact with users or contents are made from non-shedding, non-plastic, or engineered alternatives that do not generate microplastics under normal use.
2. Exposed components: Plastics and other microplastic-forming materials are not permitted in exposed components. There is no acceptable level of plastic in a surface that contacts skin, mouths, food, or beverages during normal use.
3. Intentionally added microplastics: Exposed materials are free of intentionally added microbeads and microfibers. This criterion addresses microplastics specifically and is not a general chemical safety assessment.
4. Lifecycle: Exposed materials are chosen so that normal cleaning, wear, and disposal do not shed microplastics.
5. Labeling: Clear user guidance on care and disposal to minimize microplastic generation.
6. Documentation: Bill of materials, supplier attestations, and test data where available.

We accept independent lab test reports when brands have them. Lab testing is not required, because certification is determined by a product's exposed materials, which are established through documentation. See our comparison of testing-based and documentation-based certification for the reasoning.

What counts as "exposed"

A material is exposed if the consumer has direct physical contact with it during the product's intended use. Examples include direct skin or mouth contact, or contact with food or beverages intended for human consumption. A material is not exposed if the consumer never directly contacts it during intended use, such as an internal mechanism fully sealed away from the product contents and the user's body.

Disqualifying materials are not permitted anywhere a consumer is exposed to them. A disqualifying material in a non-exposed component may still be acceptable if it presents no reasonably foreseeable risk of shedding, leaching, or otherwise releasing particles during normal use, storage, cleaning, or disposal.

• Not exposed, generally acceptable: an internal pump or dispenser mechanism fully sealed inside a container, never contacting the product formula or skin.
• Exposed: a container liner or seal that directly contacts the product formula before it's dispensed onto skin.
• Exposed: a gasket or seal inside food storage or kitchenware that directly contacts food.
• Not exposed, generally acceptable: an internal structural frame inside a household appliance, not touched by the user or by food.
• Exposed: the handle or grip surface of a tool or utensil, touched by hand during normal use.
• Not a use-contact surface, but still evaluated for shedding risk: outer shipping or secondary packaging discarded before use.

This definition currently addresses direct physical contact and does not yet address inhalation of fibers or dust; we may revisit this scope in a future update to these standards. Where genuine ambiguity remains about whether a component is exposed, or whether it presents a shedding risk, we resolve that ambiguity against certification. Brands can submit additional documentation and request reconsideration of any such determination.

Disqualifying materials

A disqualifying material is a synthetic polymer that is organic, insoluble, and resistant to environmental degradation, consistent with how regulators commonly define synthetic polymer microparticles. This includes, without limitation:

• Polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polystyrene, nylon, and acrylics (PMMA)
• Polyester and other synthetic fibers
• Microbeads and plastic glitter
• Synthetic film-forming polymers

Bio-based, bio-derived, and biodegradable plastics are treated as disqualifying material in the same way as conventional synthetic polymers, unless and until we determine otherwise based on credible independent research regarding their environmental and health profile. We may update this determination prospectively as research develops.

Product categories

We maintain category guidance covering the materials common to each product type and the alternatives that qualify. Initial categories include baby and toddler products, kitchenware and food contact, cosmetics and personal care, clothing and textiles, and household goods. Category guidance explains expected materials and acceptable alternatives, and is updated through the published standard as materials improve.

Maintenance and revisions

The standard is reviewed at least annually. Certified brands are notified of changes with a reasonable transition period.