EPA Plans to Regulate Common Chemicals Used in Plastic: What to Know

Phthalates were banned from cosmetics and clothing by the European Union in November 2020 but are still widely used in America.

Plastic is loaded onto a conveyer belt at ExxonMobil's chemical recycling plant in Baytown, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2023. Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration kicked off 2026 by gearing up to regulate dozens of ways that phthalate chemicals are used in the United States.

Phthalates are common chemicals used to make plastics more flexible, but they pose risks that have health experts sounding the alarm.