California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) finalized a regulation adding microplastics to the Candidate Chemicals List under the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) Program — a required first step before DTSC can regulate any consumer product containing or generating microplastics as a Priority Product.
What Happened
On June 18, 2026, the California Office of Administrative Law approved DTSC’s final regulation adding microplastics to the Candidate Chemicals List; DTSC issued its public announcement on July 2, 2026. Microplastics are defined as plastics under 5 mm in their longest dimension, covering both intentionally manufactured (primary) and fragmentation-derived (secondary) microplastics. The listing followed 189 public comments, adopted unchanged from the original June 2025 proposal.
What’s New
- Microplastics formally added to the SCP Candidate Chemicals List, effective October 1, 2026.
- Listing alone imposes no new SCP obligations, but DTSC can now begin evaluating consumer products for possible designation as regulated ‘Priority Products’.
- Because microplastics are now a Candidate Chemical, AB 1200 (Safer Food Packaging and Cookware Act) labeling and website-disclosure duties for cookware apply automatically, without further rulemaking.
Key Dates & Compliance Deadlines
California Office of Administrative Law approved the final regulation.
DTSC issued its public announcement of the listing.
Candidate Chemical listing takes effect; AB 1200 cookware disclosure exposure begins.
Affected Industries
Cookware and food-packaging manufacturers and brand owners; plastics and consumer-goods manufacturers; retailers selling into California; any business whose products contain or generate microplastics.
Who Is Affected
Manufacturers and brand owners of cookware products (immediate AB 1200 exposure), and more broadly any manufacturer, importer, or retailer of plastic-containing consumer products sold in California, pending future Priority Product rulemaking.
Substances / Products in Scope
Microplastics (primary and secondary, plastics <5 mm) under California’s Safer Consumer Products Candidate Chemicals List; overlaps with AB 1200 cookware disclosure requirements.
Prohibitions, Restrictions & Exemptions
No new prohibitions from this listing alone. It is a predicate step — DTSC must still complete a separate rulemaking to designate any Priority Products before market-access restrictions or alternatives-analysis duties attach. AB 1200 labeling/disclosure duties, however, attach automatically for cookware.
What Companies Should Do
- Cookware manufacturers/brand owners: assess whether products contain or generate microplastics and prepare AB 1200 label and website disclosures ahead of Fall 2026.
- Review broader plastic-containing product lines for potential future Priority Product exposure.
- Monitor DTSC’s Microplastics in Consumer Products webpage for forthcoming Priority Product rulemaking.
- Clarify internally how ‘intentionally added’ will be interpreted for secondary (fragmentation-derived) microplastics.
This is a low-to-moderate priority listing action with an immediate, narrow compliance trigger: cookware manufacturers face AB 1200 disclosure obligations as early as this fall, while broader SCP restrictions on other plastic-containing products remain a future-rulemaking risk to monitor rather than an immediate obligation.
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