...The Environment Agency has revealed that 3,000 firms in the UK have signed up for an approved waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance scheme. Liz Parkes, head of waste at the Environment Agency, said the figures showed that British businesses were getting the message about WEEE regulations and what was expected of them.... more...

...Whether corporate sustainability initiatives stem from regulatory compliance or aim to boost the bottom line, IT plays a key role in supporting such efforts according to environmental IT experts from three companies.... more...

...The article referenced was from a Dr. Howard Johnson and it delineated all of the reasons lead-free solder is a bad idea. The article also discussed John Burke's Operation Push Back. While Johnson's article makes some good points, repealing RoHS now would be about like repealing the US IRS taxation code.... more...

...Research and Markets has announced the addition of the new Frost & Sullivan report, "Eco-Friendly Materials for Electrical and Electronic Applications", to their offering. It provides developments in the electronics industry. A number of issues, such as the effectiveness of alternative materials, analyst insights that explain the perspective of the author, geographical trends and the impact of the regulations, are discussed.... more...

...One of the difficulties with China RoHS compliance is that the original documents were issued only in Mandarin Chinese. For most businesses, this necessitates working from English translations. Since translation is an imprecise art, the situation adds risk to any interpretation. One way to reduce risk is to compare different translations.... more...

...There is no case of the state versus producer pending in the courts, yet. However, environmental and regulatory lawyers agreed that although enforcement hasn't come together yet, prosecution against a producer is expected, possibly this year.... more...

...Micro Care Corp. has announced the availability of a new product, PowerClean(TM) II, for cleaning lead-free circuit boards during manufacturing, rework and repair.... more...

...Telecomms giant Nortel has appointed Sims Recycling Solutions as its strategic European partner for the recovery, redeployment and recycling of end-of-life electronic equipment.... more...

...Polyonics Inc. announces that it has been awarded an Innovation Award in the category of ID Systems for its Color Polyimide Labels that are RoHS Compliant.... more...

...The LeadTracer-RoHS XRF system is a major innovation and advancement of the XRF analysis technology. The LeadTracer-RoHS is the only XRF system that is designed specifically for the electronic industry to provide fast, accurate, and portable screening capability to meet RoHS directives.... more...

...PCB Laminate Materials and the RoHS Change: IPC-4101 Specification, Bromine Free and Reliability . . . .This workshop will address laminate and prepreg materials with a special focus on the grades, properties, testing and composition necessary for lead free assembly. All grades of base materials used in printed boards from low-cost, paper-based (FR-1) to high-speed/high-frequency PTFE will be analyzed in depth in this course.... more...

...Ageus Solutions, a leader in end-to-end EU RoHS and WEEE, Japan Green and China RoHS compliance services for the electronics industry, now offers consulting and documentation services for chemical and electronics producers and importers affected by REACH regulations.... more...

...Despite the hassle many electronic companies went through, and are still going through, to find alternative substances to replace materials forbidden by the European Union Commission’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (RoHS), a new challenge will soon appear: the EU’s Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH), a regulation that will control the use of tens of thousands of chemicals, many of which are used in the electronics supply chain.... more...

...The participating members of the IPC Solder Products Value Council[1] are compelled to clearly articulate the current situation regarding the global supply and demand of two crucial metallic elements to the Electronics Industry. The cost of tin and silver have reached 19-year highs and it is important for our industry to understand the implications of this kind of cost increase on the supply of solder alloys.... more...

...A Northern Ireland firm has gained the first approval as a treatment facility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) under new producer responsibility regulations.... more...

...Valpak Retail WEEE Services claims to have registered more than 75 per cent of UK electrical retailers to its distributor take-back scheme (DTS). The company last week announced that it had registered well in excess of the required number of retailers needed to make a success of an industry-wide scheme, which will offset requirements under the WEEE Directive to collect used electrical equipment.... more...

...How much has cleaning changed due to RoHS legislation? We asked Fernando Rueda of Kyzen Corporation.... more...

...Mr. Petri Hellin, Vice President D/SCM at EMS Provider Enics, gave a market outlook from a RoHS perspective during a full day conference held in Vasteras, Sweden on Thursday.... more...

...A pan-European research project dedicated to encouraging the continued integration of the European electronics sector recently produced a road map that will help firms navigate future challenges. The road map highlights potential pitfalls players may face in coming years and drafts tenable solutions for the European electronics sector, which represents a quarter of total world production.... more...

...Visitors to Innov-X's Booth at the SMTA's Toronto Exhibition & Conference on Soldering and Reliability and 11th Annual Atlanta EXPO will learn how using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) can screen components, parts and PCB's for compliance with the European Union's RoHS* Directives.... more...

...The International Symposium on Environmental Standards for Electronics (ISESE'07 - www.isese07.com ) will be held on October 10 and 11, 2007 in Ottawa, Canada. All persons involved in the administration and implementation of global environmental standards for electronics such as EU RoHS, EU WEEE, China RoHS, China WOEPP, Korea RoHS, Japan Green (JGPSSI), EuP, REACH, and packaging and battery directives are invited to submit proposals for presentations.... more...

...Europe's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive is being handled differently across the various member states, according to an industry expert. In his blog Directive Decoder, Gary Nevison from Farnell said some countries are including products within RoHS that are not specified by the Directive.... more...

...A study completed by ZESTRON and recently published by Circuits Assembly reveals how metallization and operating voltage influence electrochemical migration.... more...

...Continuing its pledge to provide superior products and the best customer service in the industry, KEMET Corporation today announced that it has added IPC-1752-1 material declarations to its Website.... more...

...The lead-free discussions and the ITAR presentation by Dean Young, Facility Security Officer at Celestica, occurred during the Opening Session. Lead-free was our keynote topic and the speakers were Anthony J. Rafanelli, Engineering Fellow, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and William Russell of Raytheon.... more...

...The RoHS Directive, which aims to restrict the level of hazardous substances used within new electronic and electrical equipment in the European Union (EU), has had a "huge effect" on the industry so far, an expert has claimed.... more...

...Henkel, Manrose and TV One are among recent converts to ATF wave soldering systems, available in the UK and Ireland from Contax. Contax has now installed more than 10 ATF wave soldering systems throughout the UK and Ireland.... more...

...Cornet Technology, Inc. today that its corporate-wide environmental protection plan is compliant with the European Union’s (EU) Directive on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic products. Moreover, the company’s proactive actions make it compliant with California’s recently enacted RoHS legislation.... more...

...Two of the larger compliance schemes managing producers' responsibility for waste electronics have confirmed that they are both in active talks with councils over securing civic amenity sites as collection points.... more...

...SAN FRANCISCO - On April 2, Korea's National Assembly passed legislation similar to a series of European Union regulations, including the RoHS, WEEE and ELV (End of Life Vehicles) directives. The regulation goes into effect Jan. 1, 2008... more...

...The costs involved with implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Weee) directive could be up to 15 times as much for small businesses in the IT sector, it is claimed.... more...

...The WEEE directive aimed at curbing electrical waste may actually damage the environment while wrecking educational opportunities for African schoolchildren. This is according to children’s educational charity Digital Links International which takes computers donated from UK companies and refurbishes them for African school children.... more...

...The IPC/JEDEC "Global Conference on Lead-free Reliability and Reliability Testing for RoHS Lead-free Electronics," April 10-11 in Boston, demonstrated that, with more in-depth and long-term testing, the industry still does not agree on some fundamental questions about lead-free, such as the true life expectancy of a high-reliability product manufactured with lead-free solder, and the nature of tin whiskers. Certain common themes emerged at the conference: lead-free solders are improving with enhancements to the metallurgy of bulk solder; and component surface finishes greatly affect the success of lead-free reflow.... more...

...The electronics supply chain is being forced to reevaluate, restructure, and learn new laws impacting distribution under the recently enacted RoHS and WEEE environmental guidelines. These comprehensive laws, backed by governments around the world, are changing the way that OEM’s, CEM’s, and distributors conduct business.... more...

...The SMTA announces the "Successful Lead-Free/RoHS Strategies Conference," to be held in conjunction with the SMTA Boston Academy and Tabletop Exhibition and SMT Processes and Six Sigma Certification, June 20-21, 2007, at the Holiday Inn Boxborough, Boxborough, MA.... more...

...Ageus Solutions announces the introduction of comprehensive consulting, education, content, documentation, and implementation services for The Act for Resources Recycling of Electrical/Electronic Products and Automobiles, commonly referred to as "Korea RoHS".... more...

...The EMS Forum released "Guidelines for Suppliers Transitioning to RoHS-compliant BGA Packages with Low-silver SAC Alloys," with notes on necessary reflow profile adjustments and proper notification of low silver (Ag) content. According to the EMSF, some component suppliers are providing BGAs with SAC solder balls containing lower Ag content that SAC 305/405. This change affects assembly and reliability, but may improve mechanical shock resistance and reduce failure rates.... more...

...A new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) processing business in Sittingbourne, Kent has invested around 3 million Pounds Sterling in equipment to recycle cathode ray tube equipment and other WEEE.... more...

...During a conference in London speaking social enterprise Remploy said that most domestic waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was not fit for re-use.... more...

...The SMTA announces the "Successful Lead-Free/RoHS Strategies Conference," to be held in conjunction with the SMTA Boston Academy and tabletop exhibition and SMT Processes and Six Sigma Certification, June 20-21, 2007, at the Holiday Inn Boxborough, Boxborough, MA.... more...

...Ageus Solutions is offering bundled services for China RoHS, WEEE Treatment Instructions, and Due Diligence Auditing (DDA) for EU RoHS.... more...

...Companies are facing lost revenues, loss of contracts and return of product due to RoHS non-compliance issues discovered by distribution partners or EU government officials. There is no hotter environmental compliance topic in the electronics industry than RoHS enforcement. Is it really being enforced? Why aren't we hearing anything about it? We spent all of that money and effort, did it really matter? Yes, it does matter.... more...

...Apple, the celebrated computer company, has been rated worst among major electronics firms for its environmental policies by the pressure group Greenpeace.... more...

...Concerns have been raised over the effect of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) compliance fees during the first year of the directive. Accreditation costs 2,590 Pounds Sterling and must be paid annually by Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) and Approved Exporters (AEs) to provide a trail of how and where the equipment is dealt with.... more...

...The EU is currently assessing the effect of WEEE/RoHS on industry. A recent article from EDN discusses this interesting topic. To no one's surprise the "paperwork" aspects of the laws seem to be more work than the technology changes to many, especially because the targets are moving. I for one, however, am still surprised that RoHS never made much of a splash in the major media like the Wall Street Journal.... more...

...The results discussed in this report are based on a questionnaire distributed from November 2006 to February 2007. The report gives a detailed analysis of the responses with comparisons to previous ELFNET Surveys in 2004 and 2005, resulting in a measure of the dynamics of implementation.... more...

...ELFNET has published its third and last annual report on the implementation status of lead-free soldering technology in Europe. The analysis is based on survey questionnaires distributed between November 2006 and February 2007. Results have been compared with those of the two previous studies in 2004 and 2005, showing some clear dynamics in materials selection.... more...

...The European Commission is requesting comments on the RoHS Directive in preparation for a revision most likely to be presented in 2008. The EC will review measures provided for in the Directive, taking into account scientific evidence, according to an official announcement. The deadline for comments is May 22.... more...

...Companies should look to leverage data that they collected to meet the EU RoHS directive to address the China RoHS information disclosure and labeling requirements.... more...

...The road to compliance with China RoHS is complicated. Being compliant with the European Union’s RoHS is not sufficient to guarantee compliance with China RoHS. In this Q&A, Roland Sommer, managing director of RoHS-International in New Zealand, explains some of the differences between EU RoHS and China RoHS.... more...

...A global shortfall in the supply of tin, versus forecasted consumption in 2007, has caused the price of tin to reach 19 year highs on the London Metals Exchange and the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market.... more...

...Spring House, PA - April 4, 2007 - Product lifecycle management solution provider Synapsis Technology has released software aimed at helping companies comply with China's new environmental regulations while reducing the cost of compliance.... more...

...Lenovo today was recognized by Greenpeace for its environmental progress around the world. In the April 2007 report, "Guide to Greener Electronics," Greenpeace ranked Lenovo as the top company out of a group of 14 leading technology companies for its green policies and practices.... more...

...VirTex Assembly Services, Inc., a manufacturer that provides turnkey solutions to technology companies, announced today that it has begun using high-end manufacturing equipment that eliminates the use of lead based solders in its automated soldering and assembly operations.... more...

...Some would-be attempts to ‘protect’ the environment are sure to blow up. Two of the major solder suppliers have within the past few months announced their Pb-free alternatives to soldering in the 2000s and beyond. Although their chemistries are different, it is interesting to note that, as seems to happen in these matters, the industry paths have followed a similar approach.... more...

...RoHS-International Ltd has released Version 3 of their popular China RoHS Informational Guidance Notes. Version 3, containing 27 information rich pages, has numerous changes and additions to previous versions. New material has been drawn from the February 26th 2007 updates of the Regulation and Standards FAQs... more...

...The Environment Agency has urged companies that produce, rebrand or import electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), such as televisions and toasters, to make sure they are signed up with an approved WEEE compliance scheme. Liz Parkes, Head of Waste at the Environment Agency, said: "From an initial telephone survey conducted last week, we know that more than 3,000 businesses have signed up so far. This is encouraging news that shows many companies are getting the message about the new WEEE Regulations and what they need to do.... more...

...RoHS compliance occupied many employees in all sectors of the electronics industry for significant amounts of time pre-July 2006. RoHS related activity continues post-implementation and there is a lot of fall-out from the legislation.... more...

...Symphony Consulting, Inc., a manufacturing outsourcing and supply chain consulting firm, is holding a forum on China RoHS on April 11 in Silicon Valley . Topics will include compliance obligations, legal issues, China's environmental trends, compliance data management, and an OEM case study featuring best practices.... more...

...The Environment Agency (EA) has urged all those that produce, re-brand or import electrical and electronic equipment to make sure they sign up to an approved compliance scheme.... more...

...RoHS Screening Approach--European Union regulations for RoHS compliance can pose a challenge to most companies. Many observers of EU directives believe they will focus on 'due diligence-, and this may be a key to mitigating impact or penalties. 'Due Diligence- is defined as a combination of obtaining and checking supplier certifications, and verifying certifications via a testing program.... more...

...WEEE and Vista were two of the main themes at a 'Question Time' style panel debate chaired by PC Retail editor Scott Bicheno.... more...

...Research from DHL suggests that as few as 30% of businesses affected by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive will meet today's deadline (15 March), when all obligated companies should be registered with a Producer Compliance Scheme.... more...

...Synapsis Technology, Inc., announced Friday that EMARS(TM), its environmental compliance software solution, now provides support for the China RoHS environmental compliance regulation. The EMARS China RoHS module is designed to help companies comply with Phase One of the China RoHS regulation, and prepare them for Phase Two.... more...