RoHS Certification
RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of particular hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products (known as EEE). All applicable products in the EU market after July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance.
This directive applies to manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers and distributors of products including large household appliances (refrigerators, etc.), small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, etc.), computing & communications equipment, customer electronics, lighting, power tools, toys and sports equipment (videogames, electric trains, etc.) and automatic dispensers (vending machines, ATM machines, etc.).
The Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations set limits for the following substances:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Hexavalent Chromium
- Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB)
- Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE)
Benefits of RoHS Certification
- Tighter procedure control, overall reduced number of defects and increased production efficiency (contradicts information appearing elsewhere in the report)
- Increase of communication across the supply chain serves as a platform for the implementation of REACH and other initiatives.
- Less leaching in landfills because WEEE contains less hazardous material and improved incentives for recycling because lead-free solder contains silver and gold
- Increased skill levels in the worldwide workforce due to retraining and the knowledge transfer to Asia and less developed countries (assumes that globalization is driven by RoHS). In addition, "Japanese people and knowledge are looking for inspiration in Europe and the US" (the condescension toward Japan is hard to understand given the statistics on innovation contained within the report).
- Competitive advantage for EU manufacturers in markets where RoHS legislation is pending or contemplated
- Pressure on other sectors (such as aerospace and IT industrial controls) and countries to move to cleaner procedures and reduced use of hazardous materials (such as China RoHS and Korea RoHS)