Methods transparency
Exactly what our microplastic certification evaluates, what it does not cover, and how we avoid conflicts of interest.
Scope of our microplastic review
Certified Microplastic-Free is a documentation-based certification program. We focus on how a product is designed, what it is made from, and how it is manufactured, with specific attention to microplastic exposure risk.
For each product we review:
- Materials and components listed in bills of materials and specifications.
- Supplier declarations, safety data, and compliance documents.
- Relevant process information for manufacturing, finishing, and packaging.
- Any existing test reports that relate to microplastic shedding or polymer stability.
Our goal is to determine whether a product is likely to shed fewer microplastic particles during normal use compared with typical alternatives in the same category.
What our certification does not claim
To keep the certification defensible and honest, we clearly separate what we do from what we do not do.
- We do not certify overall product safety or regulatory compliance outside of microplastic-related concerns.
- We do not guarantee that a product is entirely free of all microplastics under every possible condition.
- We do not perform routine in-house laboratory testing as part of the certification decision.
- We do not verify unrelated sustainability claims such as carbon neutrality, recyclability, or organic content.
The Certified Microplastic-Free seal is narrow by design. It is intended to sit alongside other safety and sustainability labels, not replace them.
Why we use documentation-first review
We built this program around documentation instead of testing services to avoid a structural conflict of interest. Our role is to review evidence that already exists, not to sell new laboratory work.
In most regulated sectors, brands already maintain detailed technical files for quality and compliance. Our process is designed to reuse that documentation wherever possible rather than creating a new testing burden.
If existing evidence is incomplete for microplastic risk, we may recommend that a brand obtain additional testing from an independent laboratory of their choice, but we do not perform or sell that testing ourselves.
For a detailed list of the documents we typically request, see the Documentation Requirements page.
How decisions are made and recorded
Each product submission is reviewed against our internal materials and risk framework. For every major component, we classify the material, identify potential microplastic pathways, and assign an internal risk level.
Our reviewers then determine whether the product meets the criteria for certification, requires additional information, or is ineligible.
We maintain an internal decision record for every submission, including:
- A summary of materials and components reviewed.
- Key documents relied upon for the decision.
- Any material or design features that increased or reduced microplastic risk.
- The final outcome and any conditions or limitations associated with the certification.
Brands can request a written explanation of the decision to help support internal teams, retailers, or regulators.
How we handle updates and renewals
Microplastic science and product designs change over time. We update our internal framework as new research becomes available and we expect brands to inform us when materials, suppliers, or manufacturing processes change.
At renewal, we confirm whether the product and its documentation still match the assumptions used for the original decision. Significant changes may trigger a partial re-review focused on the affected components.
If our standard changes in a way that affects an existing certification, we will communicate the impact and expected timeline for alignment.