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 thresholds are shared with applicants during the review process.

What “Certified Microplastic-Free” means

• Consumer-facing contact surfaces avoid conventional fossil-derived plastics that are known to shed microplastics under normal use.
• Materials in contact with ingestible, inhalable, or mucosal pathways are restricted to pre-approved, low-shedding material categories.
• Direct-contact packaging for these products must meet the same criteria as primary contact surfaces.

Automatic disqualifiers

• Known shedding microplastic contact surfaces in normal use.
• Undisclosed adhesive or coating layers on fluid or food-contact surfaces.
• Material claims that conflict with manufacturer safety data sheets or public regulatory findings.

Borderline and “low-microplastic” cases

Some products may not qualify as fully microplastic-free but may be candidates for a separate, future “low-microplastic” assessment where:

• 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.