Expect that many of you may have already made note of the recent updates to the RoHS legislation w/respect to its impact on the design of electronics' products - but thought this reference might still be of interest, “RoHS Recast New and Improved?”
At first glance, it seems this article is written from the perspective of the European manufacturer, but as it turns out, this particular electronics’ manufacturer, TTI, is actually based inNorth America - and is simply paying close attention to this legislation because of its European customer base.
At first glance, it seems this article is written from the perspective of the European manufacturer, but as it turns out, this particular electronics’ manufacturer, TTI, is actually based in
One of the key changes involves an expansion of the definition of what constitutes an electronics’ product. For example, greeting cards and toys containing electronics are now subject to the same RoHS compliance requirements as other electronic “gadgets.”
In particular, according to the press release,
The Council today revised the directive on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This will extend protection from dangerous chemicals to more electrical appliances and improve the safety of products such as mobile phones, refrigerators and electronic toys (62/10 +COR4, 8117/11 ADD1 REV1).1
First adopted in 2003, the law bans six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, including lead, mercury and cadmium.
The review extends the scope of the ban to more products, while harmonising it across the EU: the ban will now in principle apply to all electrical and electronic equipment as well as to cables and spare parts. Certain transitional periods are provided for, though: monitoring and control devices and medical devices will be covered in three years, in vitro medical devices in five years and industrial control appliances in six years.
The law adopted today also obliges the Commission to regularly review and adapt the list of restricted substances according to a number of criteria. This means that further substances in electrical and electronic equipment may be banned in future.
So, ultimately – what do these RoHS changes mean for a manufacturer or supplier of electronics’ products? In short, increased scrutiny. As TTI’s Ken Stanvick puts it:
"If your company chose to do little or nothing to insure demonstrable compliance to the “old” RoHS directive then your company will be faced with a significant outlay of time and resources needed to catch up and legitimately supply RoHS compliant products, or subassemblies or components used to assemble finished products to the EU market."
Translated? If your company is involved in the design of electronics’ products – or supplies parts, components or subassemblies containing electronics – then it will need to both support and document its compliance efforts in this area. Failure to do so threatens a manufacturers’ ability to participate in the European marketplace – and is likely to threaten the ability to participate in markets worldwide, as RoHS legislation is enacted elsewhere.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”
So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.
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