Microplastics databaseExplainerChecked 2026-10-01
How are microplastics regulated? Japan, the EU and the US, and container labeling
The EU ban on intentionally added microplastics, California’s drinking water testing, and Japan’s rules and container labels
In short
Regulation mainly targets microplastics deliberately added to products (such as the beads in facial cleansers) and release into the environment. We found no country that has set a standard value for the amount in food or drinking water.
Since 2023 the EU has been banning intentionally added microplastics product by product in phases. Japan obliges businesses by law to make an effort to limit their use, and has no standards for food or drinking water.
EU: ban on intentionally added microplastics (2023/2055)
It bans the intentional addition to products, at 0.01% or more, of solid polymer particles of 5 mm or smaller (fibers of 15 mm or smaller). Naturally occurring polymers that have not been chemically modified, polymers that degrade, and polymers that dissolve in water are excluded. It applies in phases, product by product.
| Applies from | Covers |
|---|---|
| October 17, 2023 | Ban on selling products containing microbeads such as glitter and exfoliating particles (applied as soon as the regulation took effect) |
| October 17, 2027 | Rinse-off cosmetics |
| October 17, 2028 | Detergents, waxes, polishes, air fresheners, fertilizers (outside the scope of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation), agricultural and horticultural products |
| October 17, 2029 | Fragrance capsules, leave-on cosmetics, medical devices |
| October 17, 2031 | Pesticides and biocides, infill for artificial turf |
| October 17, 2035 | Lip, nail and makeup products (labeling required from 2031) |
- Measurement method for drinking water (2024/1441): Particles of 0.02 mm to 5 mm are filtered from at least 1,000 L and confirmed by FTIR or Raman. It covers 10 types (polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, polystyrene, PVC, nylon, polyurethane, acrylic, fluoropolymer and polycarbonate).
- Preventing plastic pellet losses (2025/2365): It covers businesses handling 5 tonnes or more a year, and applies mainly from December 2027.
- Health risk assessment: EFSA began it at the request of the European Parliament, and it is due to be completed at the end of 2027.
United States
- Microbead-Free Waters Act (enacted December 2015): Manufacture of rinse-off cosmetics and toothpaste containing microbeads was banned from July 2017, and sale from July 2018.
- California: It defined microplastics in drinking water as “solid polymers with all three dimensions greater than 1 nm and less than 5,000 μm” (2020). Having said the evidence is insufficient to issue a numerical guideline, it plans testing of source water (Phase 1, 2023 to autumn 2025) and testing of treated water measured down to 0.005 mm (Phase 2, planned for 2026 to autumn 2028). A 2024 law requires a state agency to investigate health effects.
- Federal EPA: The proposed Contaminant Candidate List 6 in April 2026 listed microplastics as a group for the first time. On the other hand, the proposed national monitoring (UCMR 6) in July 2026 did not include them, because there is no validated analytical method.
Other countries and international
- France: A law requires lint filters on new washing machines from January 2025, but the decree setting the detailed rules has not been issued (as of August 2026), so it has not actually started.
- Plastics treaty: The UN intergovernmental negotiations ended without agreement at the August 2025 meeting in Geneva (INC-5.2) and were suspended. A new chair (Chile) was elected in February 2026, and the date of the next meeting has not been set.
Japan
| System | What it does |
|---|---|
| Amendment of the Act on Promoting Treatment of Marine Debris (in force June 2018) | Businesses that make products that are washed down the drain after normal use are obliged to make an effort to limit the use of microplastics |
| Voluntary action by the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association (March 2016) | Its roughly 1,100 member companies were asked to stop using microbeads in rinse-off scrub products. A 2020 survey by the Ministry of the Environment (51 companies, 110 products) found no microbeads used for scrubbing |
| Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics (in force April 2022) | Reduction of 12 specified items such as disposable spoons and straws, and a system for plastic recycling. It does not directly regulate microplastics |
| Positive list system for utensils and food container-packaging (in force June 2020; the transitional measures ended May 31, 2025) | A system that lists the substances that may be used in synthetic resins that touch food. A new list (840 entries) has applied since June 2025. It is not a regulation of microplastics |
| Drinking water quality standards | Microplastics are not among the 52 water quality standard items or the 26 water quality management target items |
| Food | There is no standard value for microplastics. The Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) says it is “not conducting” an assessment, and in February 2025 it again passed over microplastics as a candidate for a self-initiated assessment (insufficient data) |
How to read container labels
- The プラ (“pura”, plastic) mark: Required on plastic containers and packaging (since April 2001). It does not distinguish the material.
- The PET mark (a number 1 in a triangle): Only on PET bottles for beverages, alcoholic drinks and certain seasonings. Other PET containers, such as egg packs, carry the プラ mark.
- Material labels (PE, PP and so on): Recommended, not required by law. The US-style resin identification codes (1 to 7 in a triangle) show the type of resin and are not a substitute for the プラ mark.
- Heat resistance temperature: For plastic kitchen products, the Household Goods Quality Labeling Act requires labeling of the resin and the heat resistance temperature. The temperature is not a fixed value for each resin; it is the result of a test on each product (heating in 10°C steps from 50°C and subtracting 10°C from the temperature at which a problem appears). Check the product's label to see whether it can be used in a microwave.
For the uses and standards for each type of resin, see → Types of plastic
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055
- Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2024/1441
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2365 (preventing plastic pellet losses)
- Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-114)
- California State Water Resources Control Board, “Microplastics in Drinking Water”
- US EPA, proposed Contaminant Candidate List 6 (Federal Register, April 6, 2026)
- US EPA, proposed UCMR 6 (Federal Register, July 1, 2026)
- Ministry of the Environment: Act on Promoting Treatment of Marine Debris (Japanese)
- Ministry of the Environment: drinking water quality standards (Japanese)
- Food Safety Commission of Japan: materials for the Planning Expert Committee (November 13, 2024 and February 6, 2025) (Japanese)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: positive list system for utensils and food container-packaging (Japanese)
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources, identification marking Q&A (Japanese)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: quality labeling rules for processed synthetic resin products (Household Goods Quality Labeling Act) (Japanese)
- UNEP INC-5.2
Last checked 2026-10-01. Research and regulations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts from public agencies' documents, laws and peer-reviewed papers. Methods for measuring microplastics differ between studies, so numbers often cannot be compared directly. Public bodies such as WHO, FAO and EFSA do not currently recommend that individuals avoid any particular food because of microplastics.