Companies doing business in the EU must comply with REACH/RoHS requirements. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) requires the registration of chemical substances, while RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) restricts the use of hazardous substances in electronic devices. Today, CTS Testing shares with you what the differences are among RoHS, REACH and California Proposition 65, and why they are important.
RoHS: Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This directive currently focuses on six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Materials prohibited by RoHS include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and four different phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP).
California Proposition 65: The goal of Proposition 65 is to protect drinking water sources from toxic substances that may cause cancer and birth defects, and to reduce or eliminate general exposure to these chemicals, such as in consumer products, by requiring warnings to be given before exposure. This law is specific to California. If a consumer product contains any chemicals or substances listed by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, it must have a warning label regarding the chemicals it contains.
REACH: A EU regulation aiming to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that chemicals may pose, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry. It also promotes alternative methods for substance hazard assessment to reduce the number of animal tests. The list of chemicals identified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) is updated regularly, and currently 163 chemicals are listed. SVHC can still be used under certain conditions until it is prohibited by being included in Annex XIV of REACH.
