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What is RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)?

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RoHS Definition

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, is a product-level compliance regulation that restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products (EEE) and originated in the European Union. All applicable products in the EU after July 1, 2006, must adhere to RoHS compliance. Products that are RoHS compliant do not exceed the allowable amounts of the following restricted materials: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), with some limited exemptions. The restricted materials are hazardous to the environment and create occupational exposure risks during manufacturing and recycling.

FAQs

What makes a product RoHS compliant?

RoHS compliance means that a product has been tested for 10 banned substances by an independent authority and that the tests confirmed levels of the substances below the RoHS threshold.

*Source: https://www.polycase.com

Do you need a RoHS certificate?

Since July 1, 2006, all relevant products on the EU market have had to pass the RoHS compliance test. If they use any of the restricted 10 substances, any business that sells applicable electrical or electronic products, equipment, sub-assemblies, cables, components, or spare parts directly to RoHS-directed countries, or sells to resellers, distributors, or integrators who in turn sell products to these countries, is affected.

*Source: https://www.rohsguide.com

Is RoHS a legal requirement?

RoHS compliance is a legal requirement for businesses that plan to sell electrical or electronic products containing certain hazardous substances to the EU. These products must not exceed specified levels of each substance, and they must obtain a CE Mark.

*Source: https://www.rohsguide.com

Best Practices for Quality & Compliance

Read our guides to learn best practices on how to eliminate issues and risks and launch high-quality, compliant products to market.

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