China RoHS Effects Packaging and Crating

Since February 2003, electronic materials suppliers have made significant changes to their products in accordance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) initiated by the European Union (EU). RoHS regulations restrict the use of six materials in components of most electronics.

These materials are:

    Drive

    Mercury
    Cadmium
    Hexavalent chromium
    Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
    Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

The European Directive entered into force on 1 July 2006, RoHS and is now part of the vernacular with which electronics manufacturers are very familiar. In March 2007, China adopted its own environmental standards, known as the China RoHS. China models are similar to those applied by the EU; However, differences between China RoHS put US companies to import and export all over the world in a difficult situation. China initiative

In recent decades, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an impressive rate. According to the World Bank, China has surpassed the United States as a producer of waste in the world in 2004. Desperately promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling, it is not surprising that China passed these rigorous and profound environmental standards.

In short, companies were recovering the high cost of compliance with EU standards - which included everything from changing assembly lines for the management of the quality of new solders - China announced new standards that were even less flexible. Some companies have responded with their own standards to meet the strictest of the implications they may face when doing business abroad. An overview of the differences between the EU and China RoHS include:

    While the same six banned substances are identified in the two directives, China still tolerates smaller quantities.
    EU rules have allowed some household materials to be exempted from the restrictions (for now), but China does not include such exemptions.
    China restricted material not only electronic components, but also on the product packaging.
    If the materials are not in compliance with China RoHS, companies must determine the ecological life of your product.

Article 14 in the English translation of Chinese measures for the Administration of the Control of Pollution by Electronic Information Products details, including packaging:

"By producing and using packaging for electronic information products, producers and importers of electronic information products must use non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable and recyclable according to the rules of state standards or the industry for control. toxic and hazardous substances or elements in electronic information products producers and electronic information products importers must mark the names of packaging materials in the packaging of electronic information products in the case where it is impossible to make such a mark because of the limitations on the size and the outer surface [area], [this information] must be placed in the product instructions."

The biggest downside to China's packaging restrictions is that they do apply in the packets entering the country, and not on goods exported from the country. Therefore, companies that buy from China materials to use in their electronic information products (EIP) or packaging of these products may not be able to send these products to China. Realistically, adhere to such restrictions should be relaxed for the first purchase of China. If a product packaging process is complex constraints, ideally, a company could play safely, using materials already authorized to leave the country. Companies need each custom package about to enter China to meet its environmental standards. "Packaging" is not explicitly defined in the China RoHS, but undoubtedly materials or sets of materials used in the transportation, storage, distribution and protection of the products involved. By this definition, boxes, containers, boxes and cartons are subject to China RoHS standards. Items to consider include all packaging components:

    Screws and brackets - zinc-plated metal zinc alloy require a chromate conversion coating
    Packaging foam - some plastic foam containing flame retardant materials that violate China's specifications
    Plastic trays and supports - PBB, used as flame retardants are added to plastics to make them difficult to burn
    Plastic lids - again, the brominated flame retardants normally found in violation of China RoHS plastic.

In addition to the restrictions on the packaging materials, China requires that all components of brands and specific display packaging that indicate whether the materials are RoHS China. If materials do not conform, an arrow like orange circle is displayed with a number in the middle. Although the packaging and materials indicate the EU RoHS compliance, the circle-arrow must be present to be accepted in China. If a company can not join the China RoHS directive, must calculate the time of the ecological life of your product (s).

Conformity

For companies that violate the rules inadvertently or are tempted to claim in accordance with the provisions of China, the risks are enormous. Phase 2 of the China RoHS requires mandatory toxicity testing. Failure serious consequences. Suppliers and manufacturers of finished products face legal liability.

Companies that are not armed with the resources to understand China RoHS challenged to decipher some confused and ambiguous descriptions of standards. Companies working frantically to develop a packaging system may be better to look outside your company for answers. The safest way to package a product to comply with the China RoHS is to recruit the help of a company that is familiar with the restrictions. Knowing that even materials purchased in China can be prevented from returning, it is best to leave the RoHS compliance for experts. Count on a company you can trust for your packaging needs China RoHS-compliant; it can save your business a lot of time and money.