Evaluating RoHS: What Works and What Doesn’t
By Kelly Scanlon, director, EHS policy and research
Key Summary
• The EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive is under review, creating multiple opportunities for stakeholders to provide feedback to the European Commission.
• Ongoing evaluations will assess the directive’s effectiveness, its exemption methodology, and whether the list of restricted substances should be updated.
• IPC (Now Global Electronics Association) is coordinating industry input to help shape future RoHS rules in a way that safeguards health and the environment while supporting industry competitiveness.
• Companies using RoHS-listed substances are encouraged to share experiences and participate in IPC’s activities to inform upcoming decisions.
• Additional learning opportunities are available through an IPC EHS Tech Ed webinar scheduled for 14 November 2019.
The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, known as RoHS, aims to protect human health and the environment and maximize recovery of certain hazardous substances after their use. How well is the RoHS Directive working? We’re about to find out. Specifically, there are several opportunities between now and December to express feedback to the European Commission regarding the existing directive, the methodology for exemptions, and whether the list of restricted substances should be altered. IPC is coordinating input from the electronics manufacturing industry, aiming to influence future rules in a way that protects human health, the environment, and industry competitiveness. If your company uses substances that are on the RoHS list, we want to hear from you. Please check out this IPC document, which summarizes four activities that IPC is leading to collect and submit the industry’s input. This is an exciting time to rethink how chemical and product policies can help us to make electronics – and the world – better. Reach out to me if you have experiences with the EU RoHS Directive that you would like to share. By the way, we invite you to learn more about these opportunities in an upcoming IPC EHS Tech Ed webinar on 14 November 2019.
The RoHS Directive aims to protect human health and the environment by restricting certain hazardous substances and improving recovery of those materials after use.
The European Commission is reviewing RoHS, including its current effectiveness, exemption methodology, and the list of restricted substances, offering several opportunities for stakeholders to provide input.
Any company that uses substances listed under RoHS or is impacted by RoHS requirements is encouraged to share experiences and contribute to IPC’s coordinated response.