On 27 September 2023, the European Commission published an amendment to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) on intentionally added microplastics restriction.
The amendment consists of adding a new entry 78 in Annex XVII under the EU chemical legislation REACH which restricts synthetic polymer microparticles and two new appendices 15 and 16 which indicate rules on proving the degradability and solubility of these microplastics.
This restriction covers all intentionally added synthetic polymer particles below five millimetres that are organic, insoluble and resist degradation and indicates that “Shall not be placed on the market as substances on their own or, where the synthetic polymer microparticles are present to confer a sought-after characteristic, in mixtures in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.01 % by weight.”
Inside the scope of this new restriction: fragrances, cosmetics, detergents, fabric softeners, glitter, toys, medicine and medical devices, fertilisers and granular infill material used on artificial sports surfaces among others.
This new amendment shall enter into force on 17 October 2023 with different transitional periods for the application of the restriction in specific types of uses and for suppliers to provide specific information and labelling requirements on certain products
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