Commission Regulation(EU) 2023/2055: Restriction of microplastics intentionally added to products

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 restricting synthetic polymer microparticles on their own or intentionally added to mixtures - better known as “the microplastics restriction” - began applying on 17 October 2023.

Explanatory Guide

The Commission prepared an Explanatory Guide to help stakeholders and EU countries implement the new rules. 

The Guide, prepared in consultation with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the EU countries, will regularly be updated as needs for further clarifications emerge from the practical implementation of the restriction.

Future versions of the Guide will be developed and published by ECHA. 

Glitter

The information below is further detailed in the Explanatory Guide, following discussions with EU countries.

Why does the Commission want to ban glitter?

The purpose of banning microplastics, which includes glitter, is to reduce the environmental pollution and risk to the environment that they cause. Plastic glitter can be replaced with more environmentally friendly glitter that does not pollute our oceans.

More details

The microplastics restriction concerns synthetic polymer microparticles - better known as microplastics - on their own or intentionally added to mixtures. Articles are not in the scope.

Plastic glitter on its own (also called loose plastic glitter) is to be regarded as a mixture under REACH and therefore is in the scope of the restriction.

- The prohibition of placing on the market (paragraph 1 of the restriction) applies as of 17 October 2023 to microplastics - including plastic glitter, on their own or intentionally added to products, for uses for which notransitional period is set under paragraph 6 (e.g. arts and crafts kits, toys, with certain exceptions, etc). However, there are exceptions that are not concerned by the restrictions.

Take a look at the source description to find more information. 

Source: www.single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu