REACH Compliance

REACH is a European Union regulation formally known as the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals. The REACH regulation is part of Directive (EU) 1907/2006.

What is its purpose?

The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market, and enhancing competitiveness and innovation.

Which products and chemicals are affected?

Both chemical mixtures and articles are in scope of this regulation. REACH requires the identification of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) above a threshold of 0.1% by weight by weight in affected products. There are currently 241 chemicals on the SVHC list, which is typically updated twice annually. It’s our expectation that you keep up with these changes so you can submit declarations in a timely manner. To see the current SVHC list, click here.

What is an article?

An article is an object that is manufactured to have a specific shape or design that is determinant of its function to a greater degree than its chemical composition. If a product is made up of a number of component parts (which can also be made up of additional parts), each part is considered an article under REACH. Each part must be evaluated independently for REACH compliance.

RoHS Compliance

RoHS is a European Union Directive known as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances, Directive 2011/65/EU as amended by (EU) 2015/863.

Substance Threshold

What is its purpose?

This regulation restricts the use of 10 substances above a chosen concentration in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to protect human health and the environment, as well as reduce the amount of hazardous EEE waste.

Which products and chemicals are affected?

All EEE is in scope of RoHS. However, any component that is not necessarily EEE but may be used to assemble an electrical or electronic product (bolts, washers, plastic cords or pieces, etc.) must comply with this regulation. There are 10 chemicals restricted from use above a particular threshold by volume, unless a product meets a listed exemption (ex: Exemption 7(a) – lead in high temperature solders).

What is the difference between “RoHS 1”, “RoHS 2”, and “RoHS 3”?

The original RoHS Directive (RoHS 1 – 2002/95/EC) restricted the use of six chemical substances above a given threshold. The Directive was recast (RoHS 2 – 2011/65/EU) for added clarity and instructions for demonstrating conformity. The recast also resulted in RoHS becoming a CE marking Directive, meaning companies in scope would need to compile and keep a technical file up to date to support the CE mark on their product(s). The requests for RoHS declarations you receive support that technical file. A further amendment effective July 22, 2019 (RoHS 3 – (EU) 2015/863) added four phthalates to the restricted substances list. While not their official titles, these Directives and amendment are commonly referred to as “RoHS 1”, “RoHS 2”, and “RoHS 3”. It’s important to remember that “RoHS 2” was a recast which ended “RoHS 1” while “RoHS 3” was an amendment of “RoHS 2” that added substances to the “RoHS 2” Directive.