Terms and Conditions
Effective Date: April 18, 2026 | Last Updated: April 18, 2026
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Member") and Unplastic Labs LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company ("Unplastic Labs," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing our website, completing the membership onboarding process, or submitting payment, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety.
If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use our platform, services, or research content.
1. About Unplastic Labs
Unplastic Labs LLC is an independent research membership organization that funds and conducts consumer product testing for microplastics and related environmental contaminants. Our research is conducted for informational and educational purposes only. We are not a medical provider, clinical laboratory, or diagnostic service.
All research findings, including our seasonal research publication known as "The Signal," reflect the results of laboratory testing performed on specific product samples. These findings do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Individual exposure levels and health outcomes may vary. Members are encouraged to consult a qualified healthcare provider with any personal health concerns.
2. Membership Tiers
Unplastic Labs offers the following membership tiers, each billed once per research season:
Member
Full access to the results database and every Season Release (The Signal) delivered directly to you. Your membership contributes to unlocking additional studies each season.
Investigator
All Member benefits plus voting rights that allow you to influence which products and categories are prioritized for testing each season. Investigator votes are considered in study selection; however, Unplastic Labs retains final authority over all testing decisions based on scientific feasibility, laboratory constraints, and operational considerations. Studies that cannot be executed in a given season due to such constraints will be considered for future research seasons.
Patron
All Investigator benefits plus the ability to make an elevated membership contribution of your choosing per season. Patron contributions above the standard membership price are voluntary and constitute support for Unplastic Labs' research mission. The consideration for your Patron membership is identical to that of the Investigator tier — the elevated contribution amount above the Investigator price is a discretionary donation to the research mission and does not entitle you to any additional contractual rights or guaranteed benefits beyond those of the Investigator tier.
From time to time, Unplastic Labs may, entirely at its discretion, extend gestures of appreciation to Patron members, which may include but are not limited to laboratory tours, early access to research findings, or other recognition. These gestures are wholly discretionary, are not guaranteed, do not constitute consideration for the elevated contribution, and create no contractual obligation on the part of Unplastic Labs. No Patron member shall have any claim against Unplastic Labs based on the non-occurrence of any such gesture.
3. Billing and Payment
3.1 Seasonal Billing
Membership fees are charged on a one-time basis per research season at the rate corresponding to your selected membership tier. Each research season runs until the season's research findings have been completed and published. You will not be charged for a new season until it opens and you choose to enroll.
3.2 Refund Policy
Members may request a full refund within seven (7) days of being charged for any season. Refund requests must be submitted to legal@unplasticlabs.com within this window. After seven (7) days from the charge date, all membership fees are final and non-refundable, as members will have received access to membership content and the results database.
3.3 Season Cancellation
In the event that a research season is cancelled by Unplastic Labs prior to the publication of The Signal, members who were charged for that season will receive a full refund. No further action is required by the member to initiate this refund.
3.4 Season Delays
If a research season is delayed beyond its anticipated timeline, no new season will open for enrollment until the prior season's findings have been published.
4. Research Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
4.1 Research Disclaimer
All research conducted by or on behalf of Unplastic Labs is intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Laboratory testing is performed by accredited third-party laboratories and/or Unplastic Labs' own facilities. While we take care to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our testing methodology, Unplastic Labs makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or applicability of any research findings to any particular individual, product lot, or geographic region.
Research results reflect conditions at the time of testing on specific samples and should not be interpreted as definitive safety assessments of entire product categories or brands. Unplastic Labs is not responsible for any decisions made by members or third parties based on research findings. Nothing in our research constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Members are encouraged to consult a qualified healthcare provider with any personal health concerns.
4.2 Disclaimer of Warranties
THE PLATFORM, MEMBERSHIP CONTENT, THE SIGNAL, AND ALL RELATED SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNPLASTIC LABS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. UNPLASTIC LABS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.
4.3 Exclusion of Consequential Damages
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNPLASTIC LABS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, PERSONAL INJURY, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR RELIANCE ON THE PLATFORM, THE SIGNAL, MEMBERSHIP CONTENT, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED BY UNPLASTIC LABS, EVEN IF UNPLASTIC LABS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
4.4 Cap on Direct Damages
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNPLASTIC LABS' TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR MEMBERSHIP — INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CLAIMS FOR DIRECT DAMAGES — SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MEMBERSHIP FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO UNPLASTIC LABS IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM. IF YOU HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR LESS THAN TWELVE (12) MONTHS, THE CAP SHALL BE THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID SINCE YOUR ENROLLMENT.
4.5 Essential Basis
THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION REFLECT A REASONABLE ALLOCATION OF RISK AND ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES. UNPLASTIC LABS WOULD NOT HAVE PROVIDED ACCESS TO THE PLATFORM OR MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ON THE TERMS SET FORTH HEREIN ABSENT THESE LIMITATIONS.
5. Intellectual Property and Content Use
All research findings, The Signal publications, database content, methodologies, branding, and related materials produced by Unplastic Labs are the exclusive intellectual property of Unplastic Labs LLC and are protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.
Members are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use membership content for personal, non-commercial purposes only. Members may not publicly reproduce, distribute, publish, post, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate The Signal or any research findings on public platforms, social media channels, media outlets, or to any audience beyond their immediate personal network. Personal sharing of findings with friends and family is permitted.
Unplastic Labs reserves the right to publish limited excerpts or summaries of research findings for promotional or informational purposes at its sole discretion.
Violation of this provision constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate termination of membership without refund, in addition to any other legal remedies available to Unplastic Labs.
6. Data Collection and Privacy
6.1 Information We Collect
In the course of providing membership services, Unplastic Labs collects the following information from members:
First and last name
Email address
Mobile phone number
Self-reported health interests and lifestyle information (optional, provided during onboarding)
Research questions submitted during onboarding (optional)
Study voting history and community study suggestions
Payment information (processed and stored by our third-party payment processor, Stripe)
6.2 How We Use Your Information
Information collected is used solely to administer your membership, communicate research updates, send SMS notifications when new research findings are published, and improve our research priorities. We will not contact you for unrelated commercial purposes.
6.3 SMS Communications
By providing your mobile phone number during onboarding, you consent to receive SMS text messages from Unplastic Labs. These messages are limited to material membership communications, including notification that a new season's research findings (The Signal) are available. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by contacting support@unplasticlabs.com.
6.4 No Sale of Personal Data
Unplastic Labs does not sell, rent, lease, or trade your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.
6.5 California Members — CCPA Rights
If you are a California resident, you have the right under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to request disclosure of the personal information we have collected about you and to request deletion of that information. To exercise these rights, please contact us at legal@unplasticlabs.com. We will respond to your verified request within forty-five (45) days as required by the CCPA. If we require additional time, we will notify you within the initial forty-five (45) day period and may extend our response by an additional forty-five (45) days where reasonably necessary.
6.6 Data Deletion
Any member may request permanent deletion of their account and all associated personal data by contacting us at legal@unplasticlabs.com. Deletion requests will be fulfilled within five (5) business days.
7. Member Conduct
By becoming a member, you agree that you will not:
Share, distribute, or publish membership content, The Signal, or research findings to public audiences
Misrepresent Unplastic Labs research findings or attribute statements to Unplastic Labs that were not made
Attempt to access areas of the platform beyond your membership tier
Engage in any activity that disrupts, damages, or interferes with our platform or services
Unplastic Labs reserves the right to suspend or terminate any membership, without refund, where a member is found to be in violation of these Terms.
8. Dispute Resolution
8.1 Informal Resolution
We encourage members to contact us at legal@unplasticlabs.com before initiating any formal dispute. We will make a good-faith effort to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.
8.2 Binding Arbitration
Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, your membership, or the services provided by Unplastic Labs that cannot be resolved through the informal resolution process described in Section 8.1 shall be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration, rather than in court, except as provided below.
Arbitration Administrator. Arbitration shall be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, which are available at www.adr.org or by calling 1-800-778-7879. If the AAA is unavailable or unwilling to administer the arbitration, the parties shall mutually agree on an alternative administrator. If the parties cannot agree, a court of competent jurisdiction shall appoint one.
Arbitration Fees. Filing, administrative, and arbitrator fees will be governed by the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules. For claims under $10,000, Unplastic Labs will pay all AAA filing and administrative fees, provided the arbitrator does not find your claim to be frivolous. For claims over $10,000, fee allocation will be determined by the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules. Each party is responsible for its own attorneys' fees unless the arbitrator determines that a claim or defense was brought in bad faith, in which case the arbitrator may award attorneys' fees to the prevailing party.
Location. Arbitration shall be conducted in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or, at your election, by telephone or video conference. If you are unable to travel and do not wish to proceed remotely, the arbitrator may permit written submissions in lieu of an in-person hearing.
Small Claims Court Carve-Out. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may elect to bring an individual claim in small claims court in the county in which you reside, provided the claim qualifies for small claims jurisdiction and remains an individual claim not brought on a class or representative basis.
Intellectual Property and Injunctive Relief Carve-Out. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Unplastic Labs may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property rights, confidential information, or to prevent unauthorized distribution of membership content, without first engaging in informal resolution or arbitration. The pursuit of injunctive relief shall not constitute a waiver of the right to demand arbitration for all other claims.
Arbitrator Authority. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes relating to the formation, interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or scope of this arbitration agreement, including any claim that all or part of this agreement is void or voidable. The arbitrator may award any relief that a court of competent jurisdiction could award, including declaratory or injunctive relief, but only on an individual basis and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the individual claim. The arbitrator's award shall be in writing, shall state the essential findings of fact and conclusions of law on which it is based, and shall be final and binding on both parties. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Opt-Out Right. You have the right to opt out of this arbitration agreement. To opt out, you must send written notice of your decision to opt out to legal@unplasticlabs.com within thirty (30) days of the date you first agreed to these Terms. Your notice must include your full name, email address associated with your membership, and a clear statement that you are opting out of the arbitration provision. If you opt out of arbitration, the class action waiver in Section 8.3 will also not apply to you, and any disputes will be resolved in a court of competent jurisdiction as set forth in Section 8.4. Opting out of arbitration will not affect your membership or any other aspect of these Terms.
Survival. This arbitration agreement shall survive termination of your membership and these Terms.
8.3 Class Action Waiver
BY AGREEING TO THESE TERMS, YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION AGAINST UNPLASTIC LABS. ALL DISPUTES MUST BE BROUGHT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY.
8.4 Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
9. Modifications to Terms
Unplastic Labs reserves the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. Members will be notified of material changes via email at least fourteen (14) days prior to the effective date of any update. Continued use of the membership following notice of updated Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
10. Termination
Unplastic Labs reserves the right to terminate or suspend any membership account at its sole discretion for violations of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct deemed harmful to the Unplastic Labs community or brand. Members terminated for cause who are within the seven (7) day refund window at the time of termination will not be eligible for a refund.
11. General Provisions
11.1 Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if it cannot be so modified, it shall be severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions of these Terms shall continue in full force and effect. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision, including the arbitration agreement and class action waiver set forth in Section 8.
11.2 Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy available at unplasticlabs.com/privacy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Unplastic Labs with respect to your membership and use of the Platform, and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, warranties, and understandings — whether written or oral — between you and Unplastic Labs relating to the subject matter hereof. No statement, representation, or promise made by any employee, agent, or representative of Unplastic Labs outside of these Terms shall be binding on Unplastic Labs or modify these Terms in any way.
11.3 No Waiver
No failure or delay by Unplastic Labs in exercising any right, remedy, or privilege under these Terms shall operate as a waiver of that right, remedy, or privilege. No single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, or privilege shall preclude any further exercise of the same or any other right, remedy, or privilege. A waiver of any provision of these Terms shall be effective only if made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Unplastic Labs, and shall not be construed as a waiver of any other provision or of the same provision on any other occasion.
11.4 Assignment
You may not assign, transfer, delegate, or sublicense any of your rights or obligations under these Terms — including your membership — without the prior written consent of Unplastic Labs. Any purported assignment in violation of this provision shall be null and void. Unplastic Labs may freely assign or transfer these Terms, in whole or in part, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or operation of law, without your consent and without notice, provided that any successor entity assumes the obligations set forth in these Terms. These Terms shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
12. Force Majeure
Unplastic Labs shall not be liable for any delay, failure, or interruption in the performance of its obligations under these Terms — including but not limited to the completion or publication of research findings, the delivery of The Signal, or the availability of the Platform — where such delay, failure, or interruption results from causes beyond Unplastic Labs' reasonable control. Such causes include but are not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic or public health emergency, fire, flood, governmental action or regulation, laboratory closure, supply chain disruption, loss of access to third-party laboratory services, cyberattack, internet or telecommunications failure, or any other event that renders performance commercially impracticable.
In the event of a force majeure event, Unplastic Labs will notify members as promptly as reasonably practicable and will make good-faith efforts to resume normal operations. If a force majeure event prevents the publication of a season's research findings for a period exceeding ninety (90) days from the originally anticipated publication date, members who were charged for that season may request a full refund by contacting legal@unplasticlabs.com. This refund right is the member's sole remedy in connection with a force majeure event.
Force majeure shall not excuse a member's obligation to pay membership fees for any season in which research findings have already been published and delivered.
13. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Unplastic Labs LLC and its members, managers, officers, employees, contractors, agents, successors, and assigns from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses — including reasonable attorneys' fees — arising out of or relating to:
(a) your breach of any provision of these Terms;
(b) your unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or public disclosure of membership content, The Signal, or any research findings in violation of Section 5;
(c) your misrepresentation of Unplastic Labs' research findings or the attribution of statements to Unplastic Labs that were not made by Unplastic Labs;
(d) your use of the Platform or membership services in a manner that violates applicable law; or
(e) any third-party claim arising from your conduct in connection with your membership.
Unplastic Labs reserves the right to assume exclusive control of the defense of any matter subject to indemnification by you, at your expense. You agree to cooperate fully with Unplastic Labs in the defense of any such claim. You may not settle any claim subject to this indemnification without the prior written consent of Unplastic Labs.
14. Contact Information
For general membership support:
For legal and privacy matters:
Unplastic Labs LLC
North Carolina, United States