The RoHS Directive bans placement of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than designated maximum allowable levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants into the EU market, effective July 1, 2006.

RoHS works in conjunction with the EU WEEE Directive. RoHS supports WEEE by reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals used in production. In turn it reduces the risk of exposure to recycling staff as well as reduction in recycling costs. Manufacturers need to ensure that their products, parts and components comply with RoHS in order to be distributed and sold in the EU. Reference RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC.

Substances Restricted by RoHS

From 1st July 2006, new electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the European Union shall not contain substances armful to humans and animal life:

Lead (Pb)
Mercury (Hg)
Cadmium (Cd)
Hexavalent chromium (VI) (Cr (VI)
Certain brominated flame retardants (BFR's)
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's)
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's)

The Maximum Concentration Values are 0.1% by weight (1000 ppm) in “homogeneous materials” for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenylethers, and 0.01% by weight (100ppm) for cadmium. These limits will apply to all components within the equipment, unless otherwise exempt.

The European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) applies to a wide range of electronic and electrical products. WEEE encourages the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment. WEEE makes producers and importers responsible for financing of the collection, treatment and recovery of WEEE. Reference: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC, as amended by 2003/108/EC.

REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force by the European Union (EU) on June 1st, 2007. The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market and enhancing competitiveness and innovation.

In 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act, which directs the Commission to issue rules requiring certain companies to disclose their use of conflict minerals if those minerals are “necessary to the functionality or production of a product” manufactured by those companies. Under the Act, those minerals include tantalum, tin, gold or tungsten.

Congress enacted Section 1502 of the Act because of concerns that the exploitation and trade of conflict minerals by armed groups is helping to finance conflict in the DRC region and is contributing to an emergency humanitarian crisis. Section 1502 of the Act amends the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 to add Section 13(p).

A company that uses any of the designated minerals is required to conduct a reasonable ‘country of origin’ inquiry that must be performed in good faith and be reasonably designed to determine whether any of its minerals originated in the covered countries or are from scrap or recycled sources.

EBY Electro is committed to helping our customers comply with reporting requirements.