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Resources: Organizations

The Electronic Waste Recycling Act (SB 20/50), California, United State

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2007

•  SB 20/50 consists of two major elements: recycling and restricted substances. The recycling element is already in effect and requires retailers to collect, in advance, recycling fees from consumers at the point of sale for electronic devices covered under the act. The restricted substance requirements are limited to the four heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) restricted under the EU RoHS Directive. SB 20/50 currently applies only to video display devices with screens measuring larger than four inches diagonally, but it is expected to expand in scope to cover the same products affected by the EU RoHS regulation. Products covered by SB 20/50 that are prohibited for sale in the EU under the RoHS Directive cannot be sold in California. SB 20/50 applies to retail products only, not business-to-business products. Also, the implementation date for the expanded provisions may be postponed until 2010.

Article 11 (China RoHS), China

Effective Date: March 1, 2007

•  China's directive requires manufacturers to restrict the use of the same substances targeted by the EU RoHS directive in certain electronic information products. Unlike the EU directive, which primarily applies to producers, China RoHS will affect everyone in the supply chain: manufacturers, distributors, importers and retailers. Additionally, China RoHS currently requires products to be tested by an accredited laboratory in China before they are allowed entry into the market. Products that fall under the scope of Article 11 will be listed in a catalog.

Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (Reach), European Union

Effective date: spring 2007

•  Under this regulation, manufacturers and importers of chemicals that exceed specified amounts will be required to gather information on the use of their substances and register the information in a central database to demonstrate their safe use. Reach is expected to gather information on approximately 30,000 chemicals over the next 11 years. The European Chemicals Agency will publicly post toxicity data on all covered substances. Failure to register information will mean the chemical cannot be manufactured in or imported to the EU market.

The Act for Resource Recycling of Electrical/Electric Products and Automobiles (Korea RoHS), South Korea

Effective date: July 1, 2007

•  This directive promotes recycling and restricts the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products and automobiles. Korea RoHS will require producers to mark products based on hazardous material content to improve recycling efficiency. Manufacturers will be responsible for collecting and managing the material composition data that declares their compliance to the law. Manufacturers will also be required to show this information to authorized government officials on demand.

Directive 2005/32/EC on the Eco-Design of Energy-Using Products (EuP), European Union

Effective date: Aug. 11, 2007

•  EuP encourages manufacturers to produce products that require less energy throughout their entire life cycles, including the resources consumed during manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, and disposal. EuP is also designed to provide customers with an “ecological profile” of electronic products. EuP targets products that offer “a high potential for cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gases,” including consumer electronics, heating products, and external power supplies. Products covered by the directive must undergo a conformity assessment in which manufacturers supply technical documentation to support a declaration of conformity. Manufacturers may complete this assessment either through internal design controls or within a management system. After completing the conformity assessment, manufacturers must affix the CE Conformity Mark on their products. As a “framework” directive, EuP currently places no legal obligations on manufacturers, but EU member states may adopt mandatory rules in 2007.

Japan Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative (JGPSSI), Japan

Effective date: voluntary

•  Focusing on “green procurement” of environmentally friendly parts and materials, this voluntary initiative standardizes how suppliers report the chemical content of their components to manufacturers. The ultimate goal is to reduce the presence of certain chemicals in end products by encouraging manufacturers to identify and work with suppliers that meet green procurement guidelines. The JGPSSI's “Guidelines for Standardization of Material Declaration” specifies a survey list of 24 chemicals that must be controlled in suppliers' products as well as a set of survey response formats for reporting this information. The JGPSSI is collaborating with industry groups in the United States and the EU to promote international standardization of survey lists and response formats.

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