“Green” is not a corporate motto for any enterprise anywhere. But it might as well be, considering the avalanche of rules and regulations as well as the resources companies must devote to compliance requirements. Unless your company is at the front-end of providing services that require it to be the paragon of “green,” however, putting…
Medical electronics are going to fall under the scope of the European Union's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) beginning in 2014. This is not news, but many medical equipment makers seem unprepared for the directive, which prohibits sales of electronics containing lead, mercury, and four other substances in the EU. “Medical OEMs are busy keeping…
Probably one of the best efforts in the world for managing electronic waste is under way in the European Union. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) legislation covers all components, subassemblies, and consumables that are part of a product when it is discarded. The EU's definition of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) includes all…
In this continuing series on resources and services related to the European Union's environmental protection regulation known as REACH, for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of CHemical substances, I have covered some key providers including GreenSoft Technologies, Design Chain Associates, Total Parts Plus, and EEContent.com. I also mentioned a few others that, like EEContent.com and…
Within both the US and the EU, member states are intent on developing and enforcing their own directives. Environmental guidelines are no different — even with an overarching authority (the federal government in the US and the EU Commission in Europe) in place, guidelines differ from place to place. The electronics supply chain is used…
In my capacity as a reporter, I've been to corporate headquarters all over the world. And I've found every one of them, without even a finicky exception, spotless. Nobody cleans house like DuPont, or GE, or Archer Daniels Midland's janitors. We all know the pleasure of entering a corporate HQ as the soothing tones of…
When I think of the word “sustainability,” I imagine lasting value based on reliability, efficiency, dependability, availability, affordability, and consistency — factors treasured by all manufacturers in the electronics industry. Though many other words may also apply, in general, these characteristics not only assure a long lifecycle, but when taken into consideration at the earliest…
“Don't reinvent the wheel” is an old maxim, but it's still quite effective at conveying why tapping existing resources is more beneficial to an enterprise than trying to re-create a proven solution. This is more applicable than ever today for electronics equipment vendors, component suppliers, and contract manufacturers when it comes to compliance with environmental…
Not since the European Union implemented its Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) has a region gotten so much attention from the electronics industry. For years, the supply chain has been awaiting the details of China's electronics-waste restrictions, known as “China RoHS.” Since regulators first announced intentions to limit waste in high-tech equipment, electronics manufacturers have…
If you have gotten past the headline of this article, you are either a diehard environmentalist who will read anything about “going green,” or someone like me who is hoping to hear something different about this whole green movement. Green is good. I don't think anyone would disagree. I think it is time to get…