Key Takeaway:
- RoHS and REACH are EU directives ensuring electronic products are free from hazardous substances, promoting a healthier environment and safer products.
Have you come across RoHS and REACH on battery labels and wondered what these stand for?
Let’s dive in today!
RoHS & REACH Overview
RoHS, short for ‘Restriction of Hazardous Substances’, is like a superhero from the European Union since 2003. It’s on a mission to keep the products green by saying “no way” to some really bad stuff in electronics. Think of it as a health guard for our planet and the people who make and use these products.
REACH, standing tall for ‘Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals’. It started its watch in 2006, making sure chemicals don’t mess with our health or the environment. It’s like a cop on patrol, but for chemicals!
RoHS: The Six Naughty Substances
RoHS specially targets six naughty substances it doesn’t want in electronic parts. They’re lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
But wait, there’s more! RoHS 3 added four more icky substances called phthalates to the list.
REACH: The Big Brother of Chemicals
REACH is the big brother of RoHS. It doesn’t just hang out in the electronics neighborhood; it’s all over the place, making sure all kinds of chemicals play nice.
It’s got its eyes on a group called ‘substances of very high concern’ or SVHC for short. These are the bad boys that could be cancer-causing, baby-harming, or just plain toxic.
What Makes a Chemical an SVHC?
A chemical gets an SVHC badge if it’s a super villain in disguise, like being a Class 1 or 2 carcinogen, mutagen, or toxic for reproduction.
Or if it’s like a sneaky spy that sticks around and builds up in our bodies (PBT), or even worse, a very sneaky spy (vPvB). There are other sneaky tricks too, like messing with our hormones.
REACH and RoHS: Team Players for a Healthier World
Both RoHS and REACH are on the same team, but REACH plays a bigger field. It’s not just about the insides of our products; it’s about everything used to make them, from the paint to the packaging.
How We Keep Score
At Holo Battery, our team is like a bunch of detectives, making sure our products are REACH compliant. We ask our component suppliers for proof that our products are clean – no sneaky SVHCs allowed!
Conclusion
RoHS and REACH are our buddies in the manufacturing world, helping us make products that are safe for you and our planet.
By following these rules, we’re doing our bit for a healthier, happier world.
