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RoHS and WEEE Directives

The European Union and parts of Asia have enacted compliance requirements dealing with hazardous substances: various heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) and brominated flame retardants [polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE].

Directives 2002/95/EC (RoHS Directive - Reduction of Hazardous Substances) and 2002/96/EC (WEEE Directive - Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) are designed to tackle the fast increasing waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment. These directives complement European Union measures on landfill and incineration of waste.

The directives are intended to hold producers responsible for taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment. They will also provide incentives to design electrical and electronic equipment in a more efficient way, taking waste management into account.

The directives are intended to hold producers responsible for taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment. They will also provide incentives to design electrical and electronic equipment in a more efficient way, taking waste management into account.

To prevent the generation of hazardous waste, the RoHS Directive requires the substitution of various heavy metals (lead, mecury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) and brominated flame retardants [polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)] in new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market after July 1, 2006.

These two directives were adopted in February 2003, and compliance deadlines have been amended since then.  The directives ensure products and manufacturing processes do not contaminate the environment. While the current RoHS directive lists six substances, the directive’s introduction indicates additional hazardous materials may be added if further evidence demonstrates they provide a significant risk.

For additional information, visit the links below. 

Copies of updates from the U.S. Mission to the EU are also available.  For 2007 updates, click here.  For 2006 updates, click here.

Other Helpful Links:

U.S. Department of Commerce: U.S. Mission to the European Union - The Latest on WEEE/RoHS

UK's Website on RoHS/WEEE

The WEEE Forum: The WEEE Forum is an open non-profit association of voluntary industry-driven collective WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) take-back systems, taking care of individual producers' responsibility in Europe.