RoHs and WEEE

Facts regarding WEEE and RoHS Directives

The two directives are Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC and Restrictions of the Use of Certain Hazardous in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive 2002/95/EC. The objectives with these directives are to limit the environmental stress and to protect human health.

WEEE Directive

This directive came into force from August 13th, 2005 The directive covers 10 categories of products:

Categories
1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT & telecommunications equipments
4. Consumer equipments
5. Lightning equipments
6. Electrical and electronic tools
7. Certain toys, leisure and sports equipments
8. Medical devices
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers

Producers shall guarantee financing of the collection, treatment, recovery and recycling of collected WEEE.

The definition “Producers” does cover anyone who:
– manufacture and sell electrical and electronic equipment under own brand
– resells equipment produced by other supplier under own brand
– is importing or exporting electrical and electronic equipment on a professional basis

The new revised RoHS directive 2015/863/EU
On 4 June 2015, the EU commission has published a new Directive (EU) 2015/863 to amend Annex II to EU RoHS 2 (Directive 2011/65/EU).
10 hazardous substances will now be restricted in EEE under EU RoHS 2.
The listed substances will be restricted from July 2019 for all electrical and electronics equipment apart from Category 8 (medical devices) and Category 9 (monitoring and control equipment) that will have an additional two years to comply by 22 July 2021.

• Cadmium(Cd): 0.01%
• Mercury: 0.1%
• Lead(Pb) : 0.1%
• Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) : 0.1%
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB): 0.1 %;
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE): 0.1 %
• Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP): 0.1%
• Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP): 0.1%
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): 0.1%
• Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP): 0.1%

Link to ROHS directivehttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32015L0863

From 1st July 2006, new electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market shall not contain:
Lead (Pb)
Mercury (Hg)
Cadmium (Cd)
Hexavalent chromium (CR VI)
Certain brominated flame retardants (BFR)
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)

The limits are 0.01% for cadmium and 0.1% for all other substances by weight in homogenous substances.

The directive covers the same categories as WEEE except for Medical devices (8) and Monitoring and control instruments (9).

The WEEE directive does not include products that are part of a final product that is not covered by WEEE. For example, a computer that is designed to be installed in an aircraft are not covered. The wording is not in the RoHS directive but the Commission and member states have agreed that this also applies to RoHS, as shown on page 5 of the document Frequently Asked Questions.

Exceptions
In the amendment to RoHS directive there are exceptions from the rules. This exceptions can be changed (add or be removed): http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/legis_en.htm

Deka-BDE Brominated flame retardants have been excluded from RoHS directive but the European Court of Justice cancel the exceptions so from 1 July 2008 Deka-BDE is forbidden in electrical equipment according to RoHS regulations.