RoHS Compliance

The RoHS Directive will ban placement into the EU market 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, 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 will 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 known to be harmful 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.

WEEE Compliance

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. 

WEEE Product Scope

The following product categories are affected by WEEE:

• Large Household Appliances
• Small Household Appliances
• IT and Telecommunications Equipment
• Consumer Equipment
• Lighting Equipment
• Electronic and Electrical tools
• Toys, Leisure, and Sport Equipment
• Medical Devices
• Monitoring and Control Instruments
• Automatic Dispensers

The national governments are in the pursuit of clarifying the breadth of these categories.  Further updates will be published as it is received. 

The following products are either not included, exempt or out of scope of WEEE:

• Implanted and Infected Products
• Large Scale Stationary Industrial Tools
• Military Products
• Automotive Products
• Aerospace/Aircraft Products
• Surface Transportation Products

REACH Compliance

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.

All manufacturers and importers of chemicals must identify and manage risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market. For substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 tonne or more per year per company, manufacturers and importers need to demonstrate that they have appropriately done so by means of a registration dossier, which must be submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

• The Agency checks that the registration dossier complies with the Regulation.
• Authorities may also select substances for a broader substance evaluation to further investigate substances of concern.
• REACH also foresees an authorization system aiming to ensure that substances of very high concern are properly controlled, and progressively replaced by suitable alternative substances or technologies where these are economically and technically viable.
• EU authorities may impose restrictions on the manufacture, use or placing on the market of substances causing an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.

Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorization

Steven Engineering Suppliers

Steven Engineering wants to inform you about exactly what suppliers are doing to change their parts so that they are in compliance with these regulations.  To help identify what manufacturers are currently complying with this initiative, please review the list below: