The European Commission has amended REACH Annex XVII by introducing Entry 78, formally restricting synthetic polymer microparticles—commonly known as intentionally added microplastics—in products on the EU market.

The regulation bans the placing on the market of synthetic polymer microparticles—either as standalone substances or intentionally added to mixtures—if they are present at or above 0.01% by weight, unless specific exemptions or transitional periods apply. Defined as solid polymers either contained in particles (≥1?wt?%) or forming a continuous coating on particles (with dimensions ≤5?mm or length ≤15?mm with length-to-diameter ratio >3).

 

More information: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2055/oj/eng