Certification Criteria

Certification Criteria Snapshot

This page summarizes key elements of our standard. For the full definition of what counts as an exposed material and the specific list of disqualifying materials, see About the Standard. Category-specific guidance is shared with applicants during the review process.

What “Certified Microplastic-Free” means

• Exposed contact surfaces are free of plastics and other microplastic-forming materials.
• Materials in contact with ingestible or mucosal pathways must be non-plastic materials that meet the disqualifying-material criteria in the published standard.
• Direct-contact packaging for these products must meet the same criteria as primary contact surfaces.

Automatic disqualifiers

• A disqualifying material, as defined in the published standard, present in any exposed contact surface.
• Undisclosed adhesive or coating layers on fluid or food-contact surfaces.
• Material claims that conflict with manufacturer safety data sheets or public regulatory findings.

Products that do not qualify

Some products do not qualify for certification. These products are not certified and do not receive the seal. In our written determination we note whether a product could become a candidate in future, for example if:

• Plastic components are physically isolated from the primary contact pathway in a controlled and well-documented way, or
• Substitutions are in progress and measurable improvements have already been implemented.

We document the basis for each decision and share a summary with the applicant.