MICROPLASTICS：Joint technical paper to help companies with new REACH labelling requirement

A group of European plastics trade bodies have published guidance for businesses in the run-up to a new labelling regime, due to come into effect in October this year, spelling out how to reveal the level of microplastics in certain products.

The EU wants to see a 30% reduction in the amount of microplastics released into the environment by 2030 (Photo: Smarterpix/endewer1.mail.ru)

The groups – European Plastics Converters (EuPC), Plastics Europe, the Association of European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (Eumeps), and European Masterbatchers and Compounders (EuMBC), a sub-group of EuPC – have published a joint technical paper revealing what they say is “clear and harmonised guidance on labelling requirements” under the REACH Restriction on synthetic polymer microparticles – microplastics – and the looming Pellet Loss Prevention Regulation.

The organisations said the document is designed to support polymer producers, compounders, masterbatchers, and converters as they prepare for new labelling obligations, which are to come into effect on 17 October 2025.

The guidance includes practical recommendations on standardised statements and illustrations – pictograms – along with advice on the placement of information on safety data sheets, labels, and packaging. It will also provide advice on Instruction for Use & Disposal, and generic polymer identification and disclosure thresholds.

Back in October 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation to tackle microplastics pollution resulting from losses of plastic pellets, which it said created the third largest source of unintentional releases of microplastics into the environment across the EU. As part of its zero-pollution plan, the EU wants to see a 30% reduction in the amount of microplastics released into the environment by 2030.