Basics of RoHS and Understanding How it Affects Us

You must know the RoHS legislation and the aspects it carries with it. If you are majorly an electronics manufacturer or a retailer, this is going to be of immense help to you. The global electronics industry is facing massive positive changes because of this European Union-based directive. These are normally the compliance directives when one wants to ship and transport electronic devices. To be compliant with the directives and have effective packaging solutions, it is necessary that you understand it completely.

What is RoHS?

It was back in 2008 when the RoHS was introduced. It was the time when the European Commission started taking environmental and health risks associated with e-wastes more seriously. There was a previously made directive on the electronic and electrical equipment production which was thought about getting certain improvisations. This would finally help combat the never-ending issues of e-waste generation. The major aim behind these directives was to increase the amount of e-waste production that was appropriately treated with a motive to lower the volume that goes toward disposal.

RoHS is sometimes mistaken as the “lead-free directive” also. But in reality, this directive has restricted the use of these ten main elements that are counted as hazardous materials.

Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Dibutyl phthalate
Bis phthalate
BBP
DIBP
Hexavalent chromium
PBB
PBDE

For all of the above-stated elements, there are permitted concentrations of usage allowed in the non-exempt products.

Is RoHS considered a law?

RoHS is just a directive and not an actual regulation which needs to be followed ardently. Though every participating EU entity is considering this as a law, it is still not officially held as a law. With the help of the majority of the directives across the world, one gets an idea of the results that must be achieved and the methods that must be followed in order to attain them. It, however, does not get applied to any or all of the immediate businesses that are coming into the market. It is also not applied to any new seller, manufacturer or the importer operational in the EU market. There are multiple exemptions one can enjoy through this directive.