RoHS

'The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.'

Implementing the European RoHS Directive, the UK Regulations came into force on 1 July 2006. All electrical and electronic equipment imported or manufactured from this date must be free of certain chemicals:

• Lead
• Mercury
• Hexavalent Chromium
• Cadmium
• Polybrominated Biphenyls
• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

Click here for a coy of the Regulations in pdf format.

Recent discussions with the body responsible for enforcing the Regulations reveal there are still very many unanswered questions. Best advice is to work towards total compliance for all EEE.

For up to date information, visit the RoHS web site.

WEEE

'The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.'

Producer responsibility now applies for the recovery and disposal of products which rely on electricity for their use. The Regulations officially came into force on 2 January 2007.

All EEE must carry the wheelie bin symbol as a means of identifying that the product should not be disposed of with normal everyday domestic waste.

Producers (including importers) responsible for placing such products on the market are required to register with an appropriate recovery scheme by 15 March 2007.

Further information is available from the DTI web site and the Environment Agency.

The Regulations are available here in pdf format.

Exemptions

The authorities responsilbe for enforcement of the RoHS and WEEE Regulations acknowledge the 'primary use' principle whereby products with a primary use which does not rely on the supply of electricity shall fall outside of the scope of the Regulations.

The principal example of such an exempt product is the traditional stuffed teddy which includes an internal sound device most usually activated by pressing on a part of the toy such as the paw. These items are accepted as having a primary use for holding and cuddling by a young child and that use would be primary when the electrical component part is available and also after the electrical component part continues to function.

Great care must be taken when considering whether or not a product can be considered to exempt as there are differing views particularly between the members states of the EU.