-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Making Product Eco-Compliance Easy
June 22, 2011 |Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February issue of SMT Magazine.In today's global electronics market, companies need not only know about restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) requirements from the EU, but also from China, Taiwan and most industrialized countries. In addition to the restrictions, they also need to know about the reporting requirements such as California Green Chemistry Initiative and EU REACH, to name two. Understanding, tracking and meeting the RoHS, REACH, WEEE and other product environmental requirements around the world, without driving yourself crazy, is a daunting task. It does not have to be--think audits.
Initially, the buzz around product environmental compliance in the electronics industry focused on the EU's Restriction on the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment Directive (commonly referred to as RoHS). Companies were busy gathering documents and data information sheets on whether or not a part contained the restricted six (6) substances--lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, poly-brominated biphenyls (PBBs), poly-brominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Companies did not focus on this task as a process, but as a "once and done" project.
In 2008 with the introduction of EU's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Registration of CHemicals Regulation (commonly referred to as REACH), the list of substances increased to more than double the number of substances in the RoHS Directive; with the potential to exceed thousands of reportable substances. Nowadays, with every country looking at its own list, where do you start? Companies must look at the big picture now and treat product environmental compliance as a process, not a project. Companies should to focus on how all the countries and various legislations paint a total picture; not focus on each individual country and its legislation. An audit of the product environmental compliance program does just this. By taking the insight and direction from an audit, the company saves time and money.
Companies focus too much on the details and not the overall picture. Alternatively, they focus on the individual countries as individual projects, when they should be looking at the matrix of countries and each of their requirements; again treating the activity as a process, not a project.
Whether performed by a government enforcement agent or a customer looking for information on the products they are purchasing, an audit focuses initially on three things: Awareness, preparation and execution. It reviews how you are approaching compliance, not taking stock and reviewing every datasheet for every component that makes up a product.
When assessing a program, consider these things:
- Does the company have a listing of products, distribution regions and type of distribution in each region, a good reference listing of legislation in those areas?
- A listing of this type allows for ease of determining where the holes are in one's program based on where products are shipping. Also allows for ease in cross-referencing requirements so project tasks are not duplicated.
- How is the company or a company representative keeping abreast of changes in the legislation? Is the company or representative involved in industry groups, standards organizations, focus groups, contacts within various jurisdictions? Are there news services or other services utilized for updating and information purposes
- Tracking news and happenings through industry groups or standards organizations allows for cross-pollination of best practices from others in the industry. Several companies offer news and update services--some are generic where you do the research in the company's database, others send the company information and updates focused on areas and topics chosen by a company representative.
- Does the company have a lead person responsible for answering questions about their program? Is there a company directory listing the responsibilities, from people to positions to actions required, to listing of program status?
- A company Web site is the best way to let the outside world know about this person. Another way is an e-mail address monitored by the people responsible for the program. Both allow open and easy communication about and for the program.
If you are facing an audit, governmental- or customer-based, be responsive, anticipate questions and assume nothing. Product environmental compliance legislation will continue to change and expand. Having a product eco-compliance program that does the same is critical to continued success. Sharing your plan, execution of that plan and showing a general knowledge of the requirements will lessen the corrective actions from any audit.
Are you unsure if you have a successful eco-compliance program implementation? Get an outside opinion and take part in a mock audit. A mock audit is as simple as someone not familiar with the program looking "under the hood." Have the mock auditor review your program and answer some of the questions listed above. Like standardized testing, participating in a mock audit is the best preparation for an actual audit.
Based on the questions above, are you executing a describable, detailed plan showing the program meets stated requirements? If not, consider a mock audit.
About the author: Krista Botsford is the Founder and Chief EcoGeek of Alberi EcoTech, the eco-compliance strategies firm she founded in 2005. Though her initial involvement with eco-compliance was a "baptism by fire" experience, she has honed her skills through industry involvement and continuous education throughout the world. She continuously deals with tough issues involving environmental compliance for clients with determination and brutal honesty.
Alberi EcoTech has achieved stunning results by helping client companies to understand and meet the hundreds of eco-laws around the world. Botsford assists businesses with a novel turn-key solution for managing product environmental compliance.
As the author of several white papers and workshops on the subject, Botsford has established her revolutionary perspective as the gold standard for businesses seeking assistance with product environmental compliance. Outside the office, she relaxes by riding motorcycles, traveling in the family RV and racing a Formula Ford 1600 with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).