| In 2003, European Union adapted a hazardous | | | | enacted to give manufacturers and consumers an |
| substances control program commonly known as | | | | easy to adapt and understand standard across |
| the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) | | | | the continent. |
| Directive; the Directive 2002/95/EC. It is often | | | | The good news for the North American |
| assumed that the the RoHS standard is for Lead | | | | consumers is that most multi-national |
| only, however, it applies to five other hazardous | | | | manufacturers, from connectors to cable |
| substances other than Lead, including, Mercury, | | | | assemblies and from television sets to DVD |
| Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Polybrominated | | | | players are offering RoHS compliant products on |
| biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated diphenyl ether | | | | both sides of Atlantic thanks to economies of |
| (PBDE). | | | | scale. Similarly, while the long term (10~15 year) |
| In the European market, there is no standardized | | | | reliability and viability is yet to seen. Nonetheless, |
| logo or declaration to denote a RoHS compliant | | | | thousands of big name consumer products have |
| product. Currently, the only items excluded from | | | | been on the market now for more than a couple |
| the compliance are batteries (as they are | | | | of years successfully and with the exception of |
| covered under different compliance regulations), | | | | few cases such as that Swatch, few large scales |
| medical devices and monitoring & control | | | | recalls have been made to products |
| instruments. The producers are declaring product | | | | manufactured under this regulation. |
| compliance by making it available for sale in the | | | | There are two items that the American |
| European market. Hence, the compliance is | | | | consumer should note, first of which is that there |
| automatically implied with or without any special | | | | is no standard logo or declaration that OEMs have |
| logo or statement from the seller. | | | | to make on their products, therefore, anyone |
| In North America, however, the situation is rather | | | | looking for specific information on a company will |
| different and while hundreds of products in any | | | | have to access their environmental policy usually |
| big box stores can be seen with the Green Leaf | | | | available online. The second involves products |
| RoHS logo, however, the Manufacturers have no | | | | being imported from overseas, while many |
| obligation to follow the RoHS standard. California | | | | countries are either working towards a similar |
| comes closest to the European hazardous | | | | standard or have already one in place, however, |
| substance regulations, with its own SB 20: | | | | in actual practice these standards can be radically |
| Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, or | | | | different and relaxed in their approach. Therefore, |
| EWRA. Through this, they mirror the European | | | | it is up to the end-user to properly understand |
| RoHS compliance regulations. However, it only | | | | the RoHS equivalent policies and what the logo or |
| covers few consumer electronic devices including | | | | declaration mean in practice. |
| LCD TVs, CRTs and Plasma Displays. While many | | | | Finally, while RoHS may only represent an initial |
| states are in the process of developing their own | | | | step, it is still one of the most significant step |
| RoHS equivalent laws. However, it is difficult to | | | | towards a safer and toxin free environment for |
| predict if a broad based federal law will be | | | | us, our children and the generations after. |