RoHS/REACH Compliance
The RoHS and WEEE Directives are part of a global push for environmentally sound manufacturing and recycling policies. The Directives are primarily geared to consumer electronic products, but frequently affect industrial products as well.
The European Union was the first to enact these directives on July 1, 2006. The RoHS Directive is formally named the “Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances” and the WEEE Directive is formally named “Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment”, which includes various recycling programs.
The RoHS directives typically ban six substances, whereas the WEEE directive is concerned with the recycling and disposal of these and other substances. The banned substances are cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as well as lead (Pb).
California was the first state to enact RoHS and WEEE type directives that cover consumer electronic display devices. We expect other states to follow California’s lead.
The China RoHS and WEEE directives1 enacted this spring does affect industrial products that contain electronic printed circuit boards as well as other industrial machinery. Japan and Korea also have their own directives.
The below links contain Baldor Electric Company’s response to these directives...
The European Union was the first to enact these directives on July 1, 2006. The RoHS Directive is formally named the “Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances” and the WEEE Directive is formally named “Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment”, which includes various recycling programs.
The RoHS directives typically ban six substances, whereas the WEEE directive is concerned with the recycling and disposal of these and other substances. The banned substances are cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as well as lead (Pb).
California was the first state to enact RoHS and WEEE type directives that cover consumer electronic display devices. We expect other states to follow California’s lead.
The China RoHS and WEEE directives1 enacted this spring does affect industrial products that contain electronic printed circuit boards as well as other industrial machinery. Japan and Korea also have their own directives.
The below links contain Baldor Electric Company’s response to these directives...
RoHS & WEEE Compliance Documents
1 Each country enacting such legislation uses a different official name for this type of directive.