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RoHS is the abbreviation for "Restriction of (the use of certain) Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic Equipment" - Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

The EU Directive RoHS II (Directive 2011/65/EU) became effective on 3 January 2013 and replaced the EC Directive 2002/95/EC on RoHS I. On July 2019, the "extended" RoHS Directive came into force with new bans on the use of substances.

The following substances are regulated by RoHS:

• Lead (Pb)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Polybromic biphenyls (PBB)
• Polybromized diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
• Hexavalent chromium
• Mercury (Hg)

With the amendment of the RoHS Directive by Directive (EU) 2015/863, the following 4 substances have been added to Annex II:

• Butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP)
• Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
• Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)

Homogeneous materials containing more than 0.1 percent by weight of each of the substances mentioned (Cd: 0.01 percent by weight) may not be used in electrical appliances of the equipment categories listed in Annex I of 2011/65/EU.

Exemptions

RoHS II contains clear and more transparent rules for granting, renewing and deleting exemptions.

Further information on the currently valid exemptions can be found on the homepage of the European Commission's Environment Section

TDK-Lambda RoHS

REACH is the abbreviation for „Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals“ in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 of 18.12.2006.

On June 1, 2007 REACH came into force as a new Europe-wide chemicals law. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is responsible for monitoring the implementation and control of REACH.

Unlike European Directive 2011/65/EU on the Restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS), REACH applies to a far broader spread of industries. The purpose of the regulation is to ensure compliance with high standards of health and environmental protection.

In accordance with the REACH provisions, producers and importers of materials must obtain all data that is needed to evaluate the materials they produce or import. In addition, they must provide convincing evidence that their materials can be handled safely for all identified uses, and that adverse impacts on human health and/or the environment can thus be avoided. Registration is required for each year and each producer or importer and for every material with a volume of at least one ton.

Where a product contains substances of very high concern (SVHCs) accounting for more than 0.1 percent of the total weight, producers are required to notify their customers of this fact. Checking whether TDK-Lambda products contain SVHCs with more than 0.1 percent by mass is an ongoing process - TDK-Lambda is in close contact with its suppliers. Furthermore, TDK-Lambda is supported by the data service provider GreenSoft Technology, Inc. to ensure compliance with the various environmental regulations.

The SVHC list is updated and published regular by the ECHA: View

Here you can find further information regarding contained SVHCs in TDK-Lambda products: View

SCIP is the database for information on Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) established under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD).

Companies supplying articles containing substances of very high concern (SVHCs) on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market have to submit information on these articles to ECHA, as from 5 January 2021.

The SCIP database ensures that the information on articles containing Candidate List substances is available throughout the whole lifecycle of products and materials, including at the waste stage. The information in the database is then made available to waste operators and consumers.

The public ECHA SCIP database can be found here: https://echa.europa.eu/en/scip-database

The corresponding information on the TDK-Lambda products can be retrieved there.

“Conflict minerals,” as defined by the US legislation, currently include the metals Tantalum, Tin, Tungsten and Gold, which are the extracts of the minerals cassiterite, columbite-tantalite and wolframite, respectively. The metals are generally referred to as "3TG".

The affected metals are particularly used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as in the electronics, automotive or construction industries.

In politically unstable areas, the trade in minerals can finance armed groups, promote forced labour and other human rights violations, and support corruption and money laundering. The minerals originating from the territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries (DRC region) are referred to as "conflict minerals". If the minerals come from these areas, companies must report as part of their duty of care whether the metals have been extracted responsibly, i.e. without the use of forced labour or contribution to armed groups.

Legal basis

With the Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), a federal law came into force in the USA in 2010, which contains regulations for companies listed on the US stock exchange to deal with conflict minerals.

The EU Regulation on Conflict Minerals ((EU) 2017/821), which came into force on 1 January 2021, obliges companies to verify the origin of 3TGs in their supply chains in order to determine whether they originate from the Democratic Republic of congo (DRC) or other high-risk conflict areas. Any supplier of these companies in the scope will also be affected by regulations that require accurate verification of the origin of minerals in the supply chain, due diligence measures and reporting on these measures.

Here you will find further information of Conflict Minerals and the TDK-Guideline for the Responsible Sourcing of Minerals

The law entitled "Administrative Measures for the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" (China RoHS II) has been in force in China since July 1, 2016. It applies to electrical and electronic products that are imported to or manufactured in China.

The list of substances includes the following substances and limit values as specified in EU Regulation 2011/65/EU (RoHS II), Annex II:

• Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds: 0.01%
• Mercury (Hg) and its compounds: 0.1%
• Lead (Pb) and its compounds: 0.1%
• Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and its compounds: 0.1%
• Polybromic biphenyls (PBB): 0.1 %;
• Polybromicated diphenyl ether (PBDE): 0.1 %

The labelling of the products must be done before the import. In addition, a so-called DoC (Declaration of Conformity) must be enclosed, in which the components that exceed the limit values of the law are named in tabular form. All electrical and electronic products within the scope of China RoHS II must be marked with one of the logos below. The basis for this is the Chinese standard SJ/T 11364-2014.

The product does not contain any hazardous substance and can be recycled:

The product contains at least one hazardous substance but can be safely used during the Environmental Protection Use Period (EPUP):

Their duration is determined by the number of years shown in the logo.

China RoHS certificates for TDK-Lambda products:

https://www.jp.lambda.tdk.com/en/products/rohs_data/rohs_download.html

In accordance with the European Directive (WEEE 2012/19/EU) and the relevant provisions of national regulations on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), TDK-Lambda is registered with the appropriate environmental agencies for its product ranges, including DIN RAIL, PROGRAMMABLE, and DeskTop products, except for sub-assemblies of EEE. The WEEE eco-contribution reflects the best available estimate of actual management costs in compliance with the provisions of the applicable environmental regulations.

TDK-Lambda is also committed to working with authorized eco-organizations to ensure the reuse, recycling, or recovery of its waste.

This agreement guarantees free take-back of your TDK-Lambda WEEE at your choice:

• At the place of use, from an accessible collection point with a vehicle equipped with appropriate handling equipment, starting from a minimum threshold of 500 kg (minimum waste quantities).
• At the nearest authorized collection point.
• This provision does not apply to WEEE for which the user or holder does not wish to use the collection and treatment solutions provided by TDK-Lambda in accordance with the applicable environmental regulations.

In such cases, the user or holder must comply with the administrative and operational requirements related to this waste.

The Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament on environmental labeling for packaging, sets long-term goals for waste management within the Union and provides economic operators and Member States with precise guidelines for the investments necessary to achieve these goals.

TDK-Lambda has identified the following packaging for its products and established the disposal methodology: see the attached PDF file.