Restriction of Hazardous Substances
What is RoHS?
RoHS is short for Restriction of Hazardous Substances.
On January 27, 2003, the European Parliament issued a directive “on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.” The intent was to standardize environmental regulations between member states, thereby eliminating trade barriers and competitive distortions within the European Union.
Effective July 1, 2006, new electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU may not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). This directive applies to any equipment that depends upon electric currents or electromagnetic fields for its operation, including light bulbs and luminaries. It was hoped that this directive would significantly reduce the amount of hazardous substances in waste management and cause manufacturers to substitute substances that posed considerably less risk to human health and the environment.
Exemptions to the directive are provided when the elimination of prohibited substances is technically or scientifically impracticable. Exemptions are also provided when the available substitution produces more negative than positive benefits to the environment, health, and/or consumer safety. The Annex currently lists fourteen exemptions for mercury, lead, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in certain applications.
Click on the link below for the formal directive put out by the European Union.
