Do you remember the crossword environment puzzles from your childhood? Do you like to challenge yourself with a quick one while on the bus, the metro, or simply at home on a lazy Sunday? Some people practice this game daily to exercise their brains. Let’s test your Product Environmental Compliance knowledge!
Even if this old concept comes from the 18th century, it remains a very popular puzzle to this day, played all over the world, in every language. Some like the traditional crossword on paper, others have adopted the modern adaptation using an application on their phone.
Let’s play this little crossword and see how familiar you are with the terms most used in product environmental compliance!
Enviropass’s vision is to have products manufactured responsibly, that is to introduce the idea of ecodesign. The term ecodesign is the production of sustainable goods regarding energy and resource use. This aligns with the concept of a circular economy where the materials and resources would be reused continuously.
Electrical and electronic equipment is regulated by the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (EU RoHS) Directive. This Directive restricts the use of:
In later amendments of the Directive, 4 phthalates were added to the restricted substances, notably:
Compliance with the RoHS standard requires building a technical file. If a product assessment determines that compliance is achieved, manufacturers can produce a Declaration of Conformity (DoC).
In the EU, a CE mark is placed upon compliant products to let consumers know what to expect from their products. This mark covers many requirements such as electrical safety as well as RoHS. Many RoHS labels have been replaced by the CE label as of 2013.
In the UK however, they have transitioned from the CE marking of compliance for the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA). This mark is used for products placed in Great Britain’s market.
Different countries have transposed the RoHS directive into their laws. For example, China has implemented what is known as China RoHS. As with the EU, China RoHS includes a specific marking known as the Environmental Friendly Use Period (EFUP) label. This applies when none of the restricted substances are used above the detailed thresholds. A number is added to the label when at least one of the substances is present above these thresholds. This is the number of years of the product’s chemical stability.
To regulate the waste created by electrical and electronic equipment afterward, the EU issued the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE).
As for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation, it targets manufacturers or importers of a product comprised of at least one Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) over the 0.1% at the component level. These must be declared to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the Substances of Concern In Products (SCIP) database.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) regulations are applicable for most goods sold across the world. Some of the regulated substances are prohibited by other regulations such as REACH and RoHS. Some of the most heavily restricted being, PBDE, PBB, PCB, Mirex, SCCPs, and PFOA.
The California Proposition 65 (Prop 65) lists chemicals that are hazardous for human health, in other words, that may be carcinogenic or cause fetal harm, and that are used daily by consumers. The list of substances is kept up to date by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).
Among the regulations targeting manufacturers directly, the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive 2000/53/EC is one of them. The goal of the Directive is to improve how they are taken apart and recycled, therefore reducing their impact on the environment. It prevents the use of hazardous substances as early as the design stage.
Among the services offered, Enviropass can help manufacturers audit their supply chains to ensure social compliance. For example, the Slavery & Trafficking Risk Template (STRT) is a document used to audit supply chains against human trafficking.
Conflict Minerals are another aspect of social compliance that requires attention from manufacturers. To help companies adequately report the status of minerals within their supply chain, Conflict Minerals Reporting Templates (CMRT) are published for their benefit. Four minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo are especially targeted by regulations, that is, Tin, Tungsten, Tantalum, and Gold (3TGS).
An important practice to ensure proper management of a business and its compliance to standards is adopting a recognized environmental management system (EMS). Usually, an EMS will require an Environmental Compliance Audit (ECA) to verify that the activities, products, and services of a company comply with regulations and obligations.
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Should you have any questions about Product Environmental Compliance, don’t hesitate to contact Enviropass!
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