RoHS, standing for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances, plays a pivotal role in regulating the electronics industry and numerous electrical products. Originating as Directive 2002/95/EC within the European Union in 2002, RoHS initially targeted six hazardous materials in electrical and electronic goods. Since July 1, 2006, all relevant products in the EU market must comply with RoHS standards.

RoHS 2 (Directive 2011/65/EU): Introduced in 2011, this directive integrated a CE-marking requirement, making RoHS compliance essential for CE-marked products. It expanded the scope to include Categories 8 and 9, alongside stricter record-keeping mandates.

RoHS 3 (Directive 2015/863): Effective from July 22, 2019, RoHS 3 brought four additional restricted substances (phthalates) into the fold, alongside the original six.

Cadmium (Cd): < 100 ppm

Lead (Pb): < 1000 ppm

Mercury (Hg): < 1000 ppm

Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI): < 1000 ppm

Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB): < 1000 ppm

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE): < 1000 ppm

Four Phthalates: DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP: < 1000 ppm each

Businesses dealing with electrical or electronic products destined for EU markets, or those selling to intermediaries in these markets, must ensure compliance if their products contain any of the ten restricted substances.

Closely related to RoHS, the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) addresses the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment, aiming to mitigate landfill waste through mandatory recycling and recovery processes.