Washing Machine Microfiber Filtration Mandate (AB 1628): Technical Standards Ahead of the 2029 Effective Date

AB 1628 (enacted 2024) requires that, effective January 1, 2029, all new washing machines sold or offered for sale in California for residential, commercial, or state use be equipped with a microfiber filtration system with a mesh size no greater than 100 micrometers, along with a conspicuous consumer-facing label. First-violation penalties are capped at $10,000, with subsequent violations capped at $30,000 each.

The law responds to the California Ocean Protection Council's Statewide Microplastics Strategy (published February 2022), which identified synthetic-fiber microfiber shedding as one of the most ubiquitous forms of microplastic detected in environmental samples. California is estimated to have approximately 11 million residential and 600,000 commercial washing machines in operation, and the required filters are reported to capture up to 90% of microfibers per wash load. Although the 2029 effective date is further out than most of California's other PFAS and plastics regulations, appliance manufacturers are advised to begin early compliance planning given typical new-model development cycles.