Regulatory authorities have now stepped up with ways to reduce the environmental impact and potential hazard of wastes from electrical and electronic equipments. The European Union directives on Restriction of Hazardous Substances hold electrical and electronic equipment companies directly responsible for the chemical compliance of their products. There are two main areas of ROHS compliance risk namely, selection of materials and components for the product and use of indirect materials in the process of manufacturing and engineering or manufacturing changes. Where a product is flagged as RoHS Compliant or where the RoHS Compliant icon is used, this means that, based on information provided by suppliers, the product does not contain the substances prohibited by the European Community Directive on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances, commonly known as the ROHS Directive , at levels in excess of the anticipated maximum concentration values. As newer technology arrives at an ever increasing rate, consumers are discarding their obsolete products sooner than ever. This waste ends up in landfills in many places of the world. RoHS and other environmental laws are in contrast to historical and contemporary law that seeks to address only acute toxicology, which is direct exposure to large amounts of toxins causing severe injury or death. In order to ensure that products are RoHS compliant, careful testing and documentation must be done in accordance with RoHS Directive regulations. RoHS consultants help oversee compliance for businesses. Compliance is the responsibility of the company that puts the product on the market, as defined in the Directive.
