Environmental Commitment

WEEE - The One That Started It All

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) represents the EU Directive 2002/96/EC of January 27, 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

"The purpose of this directive is, as a first priority, the prevention of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and in addition, the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce the disposal of waste."

Essentially this means, do not throw waste in a landfill - - reuse or recycle 100% of the electronic and electrical equipment. Furthermore, the directive mandates manufacturers (known as 'producers' in the EU), will finance the reuse and recycling, and meet specific targets for this reuse or recycling. The directive also requires products be marked with the "crossed-out wheelie bin". This mark is actually illustrated in the directive.

The directive compels members of the EU to write and implement legislation which supports the directive. EU members had until 8/13/2005 to have this in place, but implementation of some portions of the directive has been delayed until 1/1/2006. The delayed part is the actual collection and recycling of WEEE. The original schedule of 8/13/2005 still holds for producer registration and product marking. Many EU members are well on schedule to implementation. Hopes and dreams of this all going away is wishful thinking. In reality, the environmental movement is shifting into high gear. And it's not just a European requirement -- China is striving to meet or beat the Europeans. California has on the books SB20 and SB50 on the books as well, requiring the recycling of EEE having displays larger than 4 inches. Numerous other state legislatures are working on their own versions.

Mouser's Information

We distribute Electrical and Electronic Equipment which falls within the scope of the WEEE Directive. Just about any product that uses electrical power to operate - - whether plug-in or with batteries - - is covered under this directive. Some of Mouser's inventory includes test equipment, soldering irons, heat guns, UPS, battery chargers, ESD testing equipment, solder pots, lighted magnifiers, and others.

At this time Mouser can not directly ship EEE products into the European Union (EU) or the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). We are not registered to distribute EEE in various EU countries and the EEE products that we distribute may not have proper manufacturer labeling to comply with Chinese law. If you are not shipping to the EU or PRC, there is no restriction on ordering EEE products from Mouser. If you are shipping to the EU or PRC and your end product includes EEE products, you will be responsible to comply with the Laws and Regulations of the country to which you are shipping.

Directives

2002/96/EC of January 27, 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. (RoHS)

Batteries/Accumulators

Commentary

While batteries have always been regulated, the regulations are more rigid now.

Lead and mercury in batteries have long been recognized as an environmental problem. EU Directives date back to 1991. In 2006 the EU has passed the new directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC. This directive replaces the previous directives.

The prohibitions:

1. Without prejudice to Directive 2000/53/EC, Member States shall prohibit the placing on the market of:
1. all batteries or accumulators, whether or not incorporated into appliances, that contain more than 0,0005 % of mercury by weight; and
2. portable batteries or accumulators, including those incorporated into appliances, that contain more than 0,002 % of cadmium by weight.
2. The prohibition set out in paragraph 1(a) shall not apply to button cells with a mercury content of no more than 2 % by weight.

This translates to less than 5 PPM (2% on button) of Mercury and less than 20 PPM Cadmium in the total weight of the battery. This doesn't appear to be at the homogenous level as in the RoHS Directive. Also, the battery or battery packaging must have the crossed out wheelie-bin.

The only limitations are use in military and space applications. If implemented on time, it is expected to be law in 2009. The key concept: all batteries will be recycled.

Mouser's Information

Mouser Position

Mouser Electronics has decided that because of the directive's requirement for distributor take-back and the lack of verifiable battery collection schemes by member countries, that Mouser will not distribute batteries into the EU at this time. Batteries at Mouser will be handled the same as we handle EEE for the WEEE directive. Therefore you will see the icon on batteries. This icon will indicate that we will not ship the product to the EU or China. The directive also requires that batteries will not contain hazardous substances as described above and that they will be labeled with the crossed-out wheelie bin. We are still working with battery suppliers to ensure compliance and proper labeling.

Directives

EU Directives and Useful Links

2006/66/EC of September 6, 2006 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC.

DTI Website on Batteries and Accumulators

REACH - Regulation, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals

REACH is an expansive set of European Union regulations that affects all industries doing business in the EU. It basically puts the responsibility for chemical safety on the manufacturers of those chemicals, and brings the EU under one unified set of regulations. An important objective of these regulations is to encourage, and in certain situations, ensure chemicals of high concern are replaced with less dangerous chemicals or eliminated.

REACH Regulation

Ongoing draft recommendations for substances of very high concern (SVHC)

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on 1/14/09 developed the first draft recommendation of substances of very high concern (SVHC) for inclusion in Annex XIV. There are now over 50 SVHCs and the list keeps growing.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

REACH - Mouser's Position

Mouser Electronics, being a distributor of electronic components, supplies, and equipment, has a limited role in these new regulations. Although electronic components and supplies can be characterized as articles and substances, Mouser is not considered a manufacturer, importer, downstream user, or registrant under Article 3 of REACH. Mouser has no responsibility to register any of the components or supplies we distribute.

Mouser does have the responsibility to communicate SVHC information down the supply chain when provided by the manufacturer, per article 33 of the directive.

Mouser expects manufacturers to have robust environmental programs that adhere to the requirements of REACH, identify SVHC to Mouser, and provide Mouser with a Safety Data Sheet or other document prescribing the safe handling of their products which contains SVHCs in excess of 0.1% in any of the products homogenous materials. This is not always the case as manufacturers are free to comply or not comply with environmental laws from other countries. Customers wishing to ensure purchased products are free of SVHCs should choose manufacturers that openly and publicly support REACH.

Mouser has made suppliers aware of our above expectations and has asked for web links to their support and commitment to comply with REACH. Mouser has posted these links to the manufacturer's page on our website.

When Mouser is made aware of the presences of SVHC, we will communicate this to our customers, and provide them with a Safety Datasheet as required by article 33 of REACH. Safety Datasheets are meant to instruct the end-user (customer) on safe handling of the product with the SVHC. In most cases the amount will be small and encapsulated in the component. Exposure to the SVHC would require grinding the component up. This is not a normal way of handling the product, and a safety datasheet should reflect this distinction. A Safety Datasheet that describes how to handle a 55 gallon drum of the SVHC is not appropriate.

From Mouser's perspective, REACH is similar to RoHS. Mouser globally distributes a very wide selection of products and suppliers. As with RoHS, not all the products we sell will be REACH compliant at one time. For this reason Mouser, cannot sign a global agreement on REACH Compliance. Customers must take an active role in understanding environmental compliance of product and selecting products accordingly.