For those of you who have been following these REACH Best-Practices articles, I have been doing my best to be as comprehensive as possible in the overviews. Recently, I met with the staff of GreenSoft Technology and was treated to a demonstration of its services and software product, GreenData Manager. GreenSoft specializes in environmental compliance…
Two environmental mandates that have a significant impact on the electronics industry advanced forward this week. In China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published the latest proposals on the so-called “China RoHS” rule. Similar to the EU's Restriction on Hazardous Substances, China RoHS regulates the use and disposal of certain hazardous materials…
Is the US solar energy market finally poised for growth? Based on data from the first quarter of the year, solar installations in the US have doubled from 2011 levels, according to GTM Research in a study conducted for the Solar Energy Industries Association. Reuters today reported that 506 megawatts of solar capacity were added…
PORTLAND, Ore. — The IEEE 1680 standards that will form the basis of EPEAT Imaging Equipment and Television environmental ratings are moving toward final approval after three years of intensive stakeholder work. More than 75% of IEEE voters gave the draft standards a positive vote, in an important step toward publication and implementation later in…
{complink 5648|Toshiba Corp.} has detailed a plan that would result in sharply higher revenue from the sale of products that are deemed more environmentally friendly and says it will increase the use of energy-efficient products in all its facilities. The Tokyo-based company said in a statement announcing its fifth environmental action plan that it will…
If you think RoHS is in your rear-view mirror, think again. A significant electronics market is going to feel the impact of RoHS within the next few years and may be caught unprepared. Medical devices will fall under the RoHS scope starting in 2014, according to Gary Nevison of Newark/element14. Medical devices have so far…
Global environmental regulations are continuing to put pressure on electronics OEMs to plan for their products' end-of-life. The collection, recycling, and disposal of electronics goods represents a lucrative opportunity for companies that are willing to manage these responsibilities on a global scale. To date, the world's largest electronics distributors — {complink 453|Arrow Electronics Inc.} and…
GREENVILLE, S.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer of advanced passive components and interconnect solutions, announced today that US-based Global Advanced Metals’ tantalum processing division, (GAM Technology), the first tantalum smelter to achieve EICC/GeSI Conflict-Free Smelter validation in December 2010, has joined the AVX “Solutions for Hope Project.” GAM Technology will process the fourth shipment of…
This blog discusses the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives and how they affect the design, manufacture, marketing, and sales of products sold in the European Community member states and North America. These directives govern the registration, collection, disposal, and recycling of electrical and electronic products produced within…
Quick obsolescence and environmental mandates are just two of the factors driving a growing interest in the aftermarket for electronics. Businesses and consumers are finding themselves buried in useless cellphones, PCs, and other goods. And disposal and recycling procedures are becoming increasingly complex as countries (and even US states) try out different flavors of WEEE…