...Close the loopholes exploited by illegal exporters of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or reap a weakened directive says Sims Recycling. Chief executive Graham Davy warned that failing to properly police the growing problem of illegal exporters of WEEE across the EU will damage the environment and creditability of the directive.... more...

...The two worst performing consumer electronics companies on the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics have tried to defend their environmental record. Nintendo, which scored zero points, and Philips, which scored two points out of ten, have said that they comply with regulations such as the restriction of hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) directives.... more...

...Starting now and through December 14th, electronics-company managers are invited to report business realities, costs, and benefits of the EU RoHS Directive. The global study is being conducted by independent-consulting firm Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) and funded by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).... more...

...In the latest Guide to Greener Electronics, published by Greenpeace, Nintendo scores a zero across the board on all criteria, including use of toxic chemicals and take-back and recycling schemes; the first global brand to do so according to Greenpeace. Part of the criteria on which these electronics companies are judged also involves how publicly available they make information on their green policies as well as how transparent they are in their communications.... more...

...The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has taken major steps to ensure that the 2008 edition of its International Consumer Electronics Show, to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7-10, will provide a model for sustainable and energy-efficient practices.... more...

...U.S. citizens will buy 30 million new digital televisions this year alone, sending their old lead-laden TVs to the dump, or more likely, overseas to China or India... more...

...Disappointment with WEEE causes firm to restructure with increased turnover as a result... more...

...The Eco-Design Club will help Indian electronics companies in practicing green manufacturing.... more...

...Intertek Ageus Solutions has a clear, comprehensive, and affordable approach to meeting the treatment and dismantling instructions requirements of the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC), the "Provision of Recycling Information" requirement for the Act for Resource Recycling of Electric Electronic Equipment (Korea RoHS), the materials declaration requirement of Japan Green (JGPSSI), and US EPEAT's treatment instructions requirement.... more...

...Only two years ago, Norway, which is not a member of the European Union (EU), had adopted the European RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) by amending Chapter III of its Product Regulations. With the new proposal Norway will set into force a much stricter regime, both in terms of scope and number of restricted substances.... more...

... The Norwegian Government is proposing restrictions on 18 substances some of which will go beyond those in place in the rest of the EU. Hence, this could cause difficulties for manufacturers. Norway plans to amend its "Regulations relating to restrictions on the manufacture, import, export, sale and use of chemicals and other products hazardous to health and the environment (Product Regulations)" which is Norway's national legislation that implements the EU Marketing and Use Directive plus RoHS, packaging and batteries. The proposals are:... more...

...Going green is one of the broadest trends to hit business in recent years. And it's not all down to creating a warm and fuzzy feeling - governments are putting increasing pressure on businesses to bring down carbon emissions and up the environmental ante with both legislation and financial incentives.... more...

...New machine complements existing selective soldering machines that have provided CIL with lead-free capability for the past four years. Andover-based Custom Interconnect has installed a lead-free-compatible Blundell CMS 400 wave soldering machine that is the 100th to be supplied in the UK.... more...

...Europe must do more to improve the collection and recycling of electronic waste, according to a new report for the European Commission by a United Nations University (UNU)-led consortium. Europe produces 10.3 million tonnes of electronic waste a year, around a quarter of the world's total, and this figure is predicted to rise to 12.3 million tonnes per year by 2020. The EU's 2002 Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is designed to increase levels of recycling in the sector. The new report reveals that currently just 25% of Europe's medium-sized household appliances and 40% of larger appliances are collected for salvage and recycling. The figure for small appliances is close to zero. This leaves 'substantial room for improvement', the report states.... more...

...European Eco TV can recycle polluting components in television and computer screens and turn them into materials such as ceramic floor tiles and resin that could be used as an insulating component or construction material.... more...

...Part 1 of the green computing update was on data centers. This week I'll begin to describe what's happening on the level of individual machines by covering components: efficient CPUs, monitors, and power supplies, as well as greener material choices in other components.... more...

...Intertek Ageus Solutions, a business unit of Intertek, is pleased to announce that Intertek, a global leader in product testing, analysis and certification, at the direction of the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) of the People's Republic of China, has organized a symposium dealing with the enforcement and implementation of global RoHS compliance. The symposium, to be held in Shanghai, China on November 16, 2007, will cover the topics of enforcement of EU RoHS, China RoHS (China's Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Products) and Korea RoHS, as well as the compliance strategies applied by electronics brand-owners.... more...

...Hot environmental topics affecting manufacturers in today's marketplace include electronic waste and recycling, lead free, low halogen and energy use. IPC and JEDEC will host a technical conference to examine the drivers behind "green" trends, including environmental directives and regulations such as RoHS, REACH and EuP, as well as consumer and nonregulatory pressures.... more...

...The Fischerscope XDV-SD is an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that has been developed specifically for the challenges in connection with RoHS / WEEE analyses as well as the assay determination of gold and other precious metals.... more...

...Direct part marking (DPM) could help the channel to comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive by making products easily identifiable on their return.... more...

...Teridian Semiconductor today simultaneously confirmed their lead-free/RoHS 6/6 compliance, and announced receipt of its Sony Green Partner recertification.... more...

...The new generation Niton XL3 (TM) range of handheld material analysers launched by Niton UK offers dramatically improved performance. With their simple point-and-shoot operation, the x-ray fluorescence instruments now typically take less than two seconds to identify an alloy grade. This is up to five times faster than with previous models.... more...

...The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Union aims at minimization of the impact of e-waste (discarded or end-of-life electrical or electronic equipment [EEE]), on the environment by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfills. It is closely linked to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2002/95/EC which seeks to limit the presence of six hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment.... more...

...The Australian company behind a popular Chinese-made toy found to contain a chemical that converts into a potentially fatal drug when ingested said Friday it was investigating how the toxin ended up in its product. An 18-month-old boy became the fourth child hospitalized in Australia in recent weeks when he collapsed after eating the toy.... more...

...RCRA, FACTA, & SOX; no these aren't the names of children's cartoon characters. These federal regulations are the smoking guns behind the e-cycling and data security revolution. Manufacturers build tons of electronic gadgetry every day with technology surpassing itself relentlessly. With new technology emerging into the marketplace, what happens to the obsolete or "end-of-life" electronics?... more...

...Keep an eye on design for recycling. It’s long been a backburner issue at the great majority of American companies, but that may change. Two new directives require companies to take responsibility for their products sold in the European Union after their useful life. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), which was enacted as European Union Law in 2003 along with RoHS, is finally starting to grab hold after member states dragged their heels on implementation.... more...

...Two new studies have been started by the European Commission regarding the RoHS Directive. One is considering the case for ALL existing exemptions plus some new requests, the other is looking at adding more substance restrictions to RoHS beyond the existing 6. Both studies will have major implications on the legality of existing designs which rely on current exemptions, which may be withdrawn or substances which may be banned.... more...

...SinoApps, the first provider of online China RoHS application for manufacturers, announced its services have been affirmed by China Ministry of Information Industry (China MII) - the regulatory body of China RoHS.... more...

...To answer the many RoHS**, REACH, and Pb-free challenges facing the electronics industry today, Innov-X offers the most complete range of handheld to benchtop XRF instruments to screen out banned substances. Learn how using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) to screen components, parts and PCB’s will help with compliance for the growing demands of international RoHS** and other Directives by visiting Innov-X’s Booth at the BEW and IMAPS EXPO’s* It’s a visit guaranteed to be worthwhile.... more...

...I was listening to the radio this morning and an ad played for the station, promoting how they play today's hit music, with few commercial interruptions. The promo, voiced by a woman with a soothing voice, ended with what I'm guessing is the station's new tagline: "92.9 WBOS, A Carbon-Neutral Radio Station." What the heck does that mean, I wondered. It seems like everybody is jumping on the "green" bandwagon these days, including everyone in supply chain management.... more...

...At a large electronic equipment repair centre outside Milan, Italy, I have seen heaps of RoHS-approved electronic products - credit card machines and laptops - being repaired on conveyor belts. What a frightening picture this offers of the low quality and reliability of today's electronic products.... more...

...The recent changes in electronics technology have caused a high rate of turnover for all types of electronic products. The replaced electronic products and systems that were made obsolete by new technologies are creating a fast-growing problem of ever increasing amounts of obsolete electronic gear that is accumulating around the globe.... more...

...Keep an eye on design for recycling. It's long been a backburner issue at the great majority of American companies, but that may change. Two new directives require companies to take responsibility for their products sold in the European Union after their useful life. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), which was enacted as European Union Law in 2003 along with RoHS, is finally starting to grab hold after member states dragged their heels on implementation.... more...

...Almost all English waste disposal authorities have now signed up a producer compliance scheme to take household waste electronic goods, or are close to finalising arrangements, the government has said.... more...

...Last month the California legislature had passed the bill AB 48, the second attempt to extend California's RoHS-like substance restrictions to the same breadth as the European Union’s RoHS directive. Governor Schwarzenegger recently vetoed the bill. The memo is included... more...

...Companies faced with the challenges of RoHS and ELV are now looking at how REACH changes their material compliance strategy. This 1 hour, live webinar is designed to provide a case study for how this new legislation is going to directly affect manufacturers and suppliers. Attendees will leave with a better definition of what REACH means and what steps they should take next.... more...