Regulation (EU) 2023/2055, which introduces the restriction on intentionally added microplastics in products, imposes a series of obligations on chemical companies whose uses of microplastics fall under the exemptions set out in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the regulation.
Starting from 17 October 2025, the first regulatory obligation has entered into force: downstream communication of the presence of microplastics. This obligation specifically applies to:
- suppliers of microplastics for industrial uses (Paragraph 4a),
- suppliers of microplastics in food additives (Paragraph 4d),
- suppliers of microplastics that are contained by technical means (Paragraph 5a),
- suppliers of microplastics whose physical properties are permanently modified during end use (Paragraph 5b),
- suppliers of microplastics that are permanently incorporated into a solid matrix during end use (Paragraph 5c).
In addition to simply reporting the presence of microplastics, suppliers must also communicate:
- information for use and disposal (IFUD), and
- in the case of microplastics intended for industrial uses, the quantity or concentration of synthetic polymer particles and the generic identity of the polymers.
The 17 October 2025 deadline represents only the first step towards full compliance with Regulation (EU) 2023/2055. The next significant deadline is set for 31 May 2026, by which date manufacturers and downstream users of microplastics in the form of pellets, flakes, or powders used as raw materials in plastic production at industrial sites must report their emissions to ECHA.
To understand in detail how to properly communicate the presence of microplastics downstream, what the next regulatory obligations will be, and how to effectively prepare to comply with them, please contact TEAM mastery at:
info@team-mastery.eu
giannicasaluce@team-mastery.eu