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Virtual Conference

March 31, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Chemicals Management for Electronics in Europe | July 11-12, 2022

chem-watch-july-2022

Get the latest information on chemical restrictions in electronics and electricals

Join GreenSoft Technology on July 11-12 at the annual Chemicals Management for Electronics in Europe conference hosted by Chemical Watch.

This two-day virtual conference offers the latest information and advice on chemicals management and restrictions in electronics.

On day one of the conference, Randy Flinders, Compliance Specialist for GreenSoft Technology, will be presenting a session on Key Challenges for Electronics Components.

Other topics covered at the event include:

  • EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability;
  • EU sustainable product policy;
  • PFAS updates for the electronics sector;
  • Regulatory and EU RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) updates; and
  • Eco-design principles towards safer electronic products.

Speakers include representatives from government organizations, trade associations, industry, service providers and NGOs.

Take the opportunity to join in discussions and ask the experts questions. Book your ticket online.

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Market Access

March 28, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Four Products Removed from Market Due to EU REACH, EU RoHS & EU POPs Violations

reach-rohs

EU REACH, EU RoHS and EU POPs violations found in electronic products, forcing withdrawal from market

Importers of four products have been ordered to recall their products from the European market for failure to comply with the EU REACH Regulation, the EU RoHS Directive, and/or the EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation.

In March, the EU Safety Gate published the following alerts for violations resulting in chemical and environmental risk:

 

Touch Panel Camping Lantern

lantern

The solder contains an excessive amount of lead and cadmium (measured value up to 14,82 % and 0,16 % by weight, respectively).

Furthermore, the plastic of the charging cord contains an excessive amount of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) (measured value up to 2.29%, 1.03% and 3.8% by weight, respectively).

Regulatory Violations: RoHS 2 Directive, POPs Regulation, REACH Regulation

Alert Number: A12/00396/22

Waterproof Wireless Speaker

speakerThe solder contains an excessive amount of cadmium and lead (measured values up to 4% and 0.06% by weight respectively). Lead and cadmium pose a risk to the environment.

Furthermore, the charging cable and the suction cap contain short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) (measured values up to 6.7% and 4.8% by weight, respectively). The SCCPs persist in the environment, are toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations and bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans, posing a risk to human health and the environment.

The charging cable contains also an excessive amount of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (measured values 1.17% and 0.7% by weight, respectively).

Regulatory Violations: RoHS 2 Directive, POPs Regulation, REACH Regulation

Alert Number: A12/00397/22

Night Lamp Alarm Clock

lampTwo solders in the product (battery and speaker) contain an excessive amount of lead (measured value up to 74% by weight).

Regulatory Violations: RoHS 2 Directive

Alert Number: A12/00416/22

 

Hands-Free Pot Stirrer

pot-stirrerTwo solders in the product (battery lid and button) contain an excessive amount of lead (measured value up to 71% by weight).

Regulatory Violations: RoHS 2 Directive

Alert Number: A12/00415/22

 

As a result of the violations, the importers of all four products were required to withdraw the products from the European market.

GreenSoft’s data services can help prevent loss of market access for regulation violations

Compliance with EU REACH, EU RoHS, and EU POPs are requirements for affected companies that manufacture or distribute products in the European market. As demonstrated by the enforcement actions above, failure to comply with these regulations can result of loss of market access and other serious consequences for manufacturers and distributors.

GreenSoft provides Data Services to help your company comply with EU REACH, EU RoHS, and EU POPs, so that you can ensure you retain market access to the European market.

Learn more about our Data Services or contact us today to get started.

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EU RoHS

March 22, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Public Review of EU RoHS Directive Launched

eu-rohs

 

European Commission launches public consultation to review and improve EU RoHS Directive

On March 10, the European Commission launched a public consultation period to review the EU RoHS Directive rules.

The goal of the review is to identify any changes needed for the EU RoHS Directive to meet its objectives in the most effective and efficient way.

The European Commission notes that changes should be in line with the latest technical and scientific developments, and be coherent with other EU legislation addressing electronic and electrical equipment and chemical substances.

Interested parties are invited to contribute their views online. The consultation period is open until 2 June, 2022.

The announcement of the consultation period can be found here.

GreenSoft can help with EU RoHS

GreenSoft provides Data Services to help your company comply with the EU RoHS Directive.

We will collect compliance data on parts and assemblies from your supply chain for you, and generate compliance and completion reports, so that you can show due diligence while still focusing on your core competencies.

Learn more and receive a free Risk Analysis when you contact us.

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Webinar

March 18, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Regulatory Update for Electronics Producers 2022 Webinar

regulatory-update

Get the latest updates on critical regulations for manufacturers

Multiple changes are in the works for regulations affecting electronics producers.

During this educational webinar, host Randy Flinders, Compliance Specialist for GreenSoft Technology, will give you all the latest updates including:

  • California Proposition 65: Proposed short-form warning label changes
  • EU RoHS: Exemption renewal updates for common exemptions such as 6c, 7a, 7c1
  • PFAS: A summary of global activity concerning PFAS “forever chemicals"
  • TSCA: The latest status of the US EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) PBT restrictions
  • And other regulatory updates
  •  

Plus, you’ll get a chance to ask Randy your questions during a live Q&A session.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about the regulatory updates coming in 2022. Register now to save your spot!

Registration

Tuesday, May 10

Two session times available:

  • 4:00pm CEST/10:00am EDT/7:00am PDT – Register
  • 8:00pm CEST/2:00pm EDT/11:00am PDT – Register

Everyone who registers will receive a copy of the webinar recording.

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EU RoHS

March 8, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

12 New EU RoHS Annex III Exemption Updates Announced

eu-rohs

 


EU RoHS Annex III exemptions list updated with 12 changes to exemptions involving Mercury in lamps


On February 24, the European Commission announced updates for twelve Annex III exemptions under the EU RoHS Directive.

All twelve impacted exemptions apply to various forms of Mercury; specifically, to Mercury usage in lamps.

The updates are effective March 16, 2022. The new expiration dates for these exemptions range from February 24, 2023 at the earliest to February 24, 2027 at the latest.

Updated EU RoHS Exemptions List available to download

GreenSoft maintains a compiled list of the EU RoHS Exemptions in order to perform EU RoHS Data Services for our customers and to keep our GreenData Manager software up-to-date. We also make this list available online to the public for your convenience and reference.

Our compiled EU RoHS Exemptions List has been updated to include these twelve new exemption updates. You can download the updated EU RoHS Exemptions List here.

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Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

March 4, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

EPA Finalizes Extension for PIP 3:1 Deadline Under TSCA

tsca

EPA officially extends PIP 3:1 compliance deadline to October 2024

On March 4, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the official extension of certain compliance enforcement dates for the PIP 3:1 substance regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The new compliance date for articles containing PIP 3:1 is October 31, 2024.

This announcement comes just days before the previous deadline of March 8, 2022. However, the extension was expected, as the EPA had previously announced their proposal to extend the deadline in October 2021.

TSCA deadlines have been extended twice before due to industry pressure

When the EPA first published the persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) Final Rule in January 2021, the original deadline for compliance was March 2021, just three months after the publication. The EPA extended that deadline to September 4, 2021 on March 8, 2021.

The EPA has received consistent pressure from industry stakeholders requesting extensions to the PIP 3:1 deadline. In its latest announcement, the EPA states that:

“EPA did not have a full understanding of the impact of the prohibition prior to issuing the January 2021 final rule. As industries continue to identify sources of PIP (3:1) in their supply chains and pursue alternatives, EPA has taken several actions to ensure the continued availability of important industrial equipment and consumer electronics, including cellular telephones and laptop computers.”

The extension to October 2024 aims to address the hardships inadvertently created by the original applicable compliance dates in the January 2021 final rule, and ensure that critical supply chains are not disrupted for key consumer and commercial goods.

The EPA's announcement of the deadline extension can be found online.

GreenSoft Technology helps with TSCA supply chain data collection

While this new deadline extension brings relief to companies that are required to comply with TSCA, it is still recommended that companies begin developing their TSCA compliance program as soon as possible.

The process to collect substance data on all parts within products and ensure none of the restricted substances are present is time consuming. It can be especially challenging when suppliers are unaware of what data needs to be provided and how to provide it.

As part of our TSCA data services, GreenSoft Technology will contact your supply chain to collect data on the presence of PIP 3:1 and/or all five PBT substances in your products. We will guide your suppliers to help them collect the necessary information that you need.

We contact your suppliers as many times as it takes to obtain complete and accurate data, and provide you with compliance reports and substance analysis for your products, which you can use to ensure your products are in compliance with TSCA.

Contact us to learn more.

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EU REACH

January 17, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

4 Substances Added to EU REACH SVHC List

EU-REACH

EU REACH SVHC List now contains 223 substances

On January 17, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced the addition of 4 chemicals to the EU REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) List.

One of the four substances is used in cosmetics and has been added to the Candidate List as it has hormone-disrupting properties in humans.

Two are used, for example, in rubbers, lubricants and sealants, and have been included because they negatively affect fertility.

The fourth is used in lubricants and greases and has been added as it is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT), and therefore harmful for the environment.

The 4 newly added substances are:

Substance NameEC NumberCAS NumberReason for InclusionExamples of Use(s)Link
6,6′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-methylenedi-p-cresol204-327-1119-47-1Toxic for reproduction

 

(Article 57 c)

Rubbers, lubricants, adhesives, inks, fuelsLink
tris(2-methoxyethoxy)vinylsilane213-934-01067-53-4Toxic for reproduction
(Article 57 c)		Rubbers, plastics, sealantsLink
(±)-1,7,7-trimethyl-3-[(4-methylphenyl)methylene]bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof (4-MBC)——Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57 f – human health)CosmeticsLink
S-(tricyclo(5.2.1.02,6)deca-3-en-8(or 9)-yl O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) phosphorodithioate401-850-9255881-94-8PBT (Article 57 d)Lubricants, greasesLink

ECHA’s announcement of the additions can be found here. The full SVHC list can be found here.

The addition of these substances brings the total EU REACH SVHC List to 223 substances. The last prior addition was SVHC 219 in July.

The inclusion of substances in the EU REACH SVHC List brings immediate obligations for affected companies using the substances in their products above the stated threshold, including customer notifications and notifying ECHA through submissions to the SCIP Database.

GreenSoft can help with EU REACH compliance

The EU REACH SVHC List is typically updated twice per year, resulting in affected companies needing to re-evaluate their product compliance and possibly re-collect substance data from their suppliers.

GreenSoft helps manage this process for companies, including coverage for the SCIP Database, by performing data collection, data validation, substance calculations and report generation as part of our EU REACH data services.

Learn more about how our EU REACH data services can help your company with EU REACH compliance by contacting us.

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Market Access

January 11, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Four Products Removed from Market Due to EU REACH, EU RoHS & EU POPs Violations

4 Products Recalled in European Markets

reach-rohsImporters of four products have been ordered to recall their products from the European market for failure to comply with the EU REACH Regulation, the EU RoHS Directive, and the EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation.

On December 23, 2021, the EU Safety Gate published three alerts for the products in violation, which are summarized below.

A Midy brand Bluetooth sports headband was found to contain an excessive amount of di-(2-etylhexyl)phtalate (DEHP) and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) (measured values up to 1.04% and 1.48% by weight, respectively).

The ear cushions in Powerful Bass Blast Headphones were found to contain an excessive amount of di-(2-etylhexyl)phtalate (DEHP) and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) (measured values up to 14.2% and 0.27% by weight, respectively), and solders contain an excessive amount of lead (measured values up to 61.5%).

And the white charger cable of a heating neck massager was found to contain an excessive amount of di-(2-etylhexyl)phtalate (DEHP) and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) (measured values up to 9.04% and 2.38% by weight, respectively). Additionally, a solder on the PCB contains an excessive amount of lead (measured values up to 50.9%).

All three of the products do not comply with the EU REACH Regulation or the EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation, and the headphones and the heating neck massager also did not comply with the EU RoHS Directive.

enforcement-productAdditionally, on January 6, the EU Safety Gate published an alert for a body massager with a charger cable containing an excessive amount of short chain chlorinated paraffin (SCCPs), di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) (measured values up to 3.69%, 1.93% and 1.62% by weight, respectively); and two solders containing an excessive amount of lead (measured value up to 63.8% by weight).

The body massager is therefore in violation of the EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation and the EU RoHS Directive.

As a result of the violations, the importers of all four products were required to withdraw the products from the European market.

 GreenSoft’s data services can help prevent loss of market access for regulation violations

Compliance with EU REACH, EU RoHS, and EU POPs are requirements for affected companies that manufacture or distribute products in the European market. As demonstrated by the enforcement actions above, failure to comply with these regulations can result of loss of market access and other serious consequences for manufacturers and distributors.

GreenSoft provides Data Services to help your company comply with EU REACH, EU RoHS, and EU POPs, so that you can ensure you retain market access to the European market.

Learn more about our Data Services or contact us today to get started.

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Proposition 65

January 10, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Six Chemicals Added to California Proposition 65 Substances List

prop-65

New Substances Added to California Prop 65 List

In December, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added six chemicals to the list of substances regulated under the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).

Effective December 17, 2021, the following four substances have been added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer:

  • 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate (CAS No. 103-11-7)
  • Tetrahydrofuran (CAS No. 109-99-9)
  • Methyl acrylate (CAS No. 96-33-3)
  • Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (Technical Grade)

Effective December 24, 2021, the following substance has been added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer:

  • Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) and Its Salts and Transformation and Degradation Precursors

And effective December 31, 2021, the following substance has been added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause reproductive toxicity:

  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and its salts

The full California Proposition 65 list of regulated substances can be found here.

GreenSoft Technology provides help with CA Prop 65

Compliance with CA Prop 65 requires businesses to have detailed knowledge of the chemicals that their products or business locations contain and expose to the California public.

Affected companies are required to inform Californians about exposure to substances on the CA Prop 65 chemicals list before the potential exposure takes place. Penalties for being found in violation of CA Prop 65 can be as high as $2,500 per violation, per day.

In order to know which chemicals are exposed to the public, a business must collect substance data on the products that it sells to the public in California or the products that it uses within its California business locations.

GreenSoft Technology can help with this process. As part of our California Proposition 65 Data Services, we will collect substance data from your suppliers on your behalf, and check it against the list of chemicals regulated under CA Prop 65.

Contact us to learn more.

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Proposition 65

December 16, 2021 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Modifications to Proposed California Proposition 65 Warning Label Amendment

California Proposition 65 Short-Form Warning Label Proposal Sees Additional Changes

prop-65On December 13, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) modified its existing proposal to amend the short-form warning label regulations under the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (California Proposition 65).

The original proposed rulemaking, published on January 8, 2021, would amend the safe harbor warning regulations to improve the short-form warnings to provide consumers more specific information, and to limit the use of the safe harbor short form warning to small products.

Below is an example of the original proposed modifications to the short-form warning label. As seen in the proposed “After” warning label below, companies would be required to list the names of chemicals that Californians are exposed to rather than using the generic warning label seen in the “Before” image.

 

prop-65-label
An example of the CA Prop 65 Clear and Reasonable Warning label before and after the August 2018 amendments.

The initial comment period for those proposed changes closed on March 29, 2021, and OEHHA then began reviewing the 160 written comments it received. After reviewing the comments, OEHHA announced modifications to its proposal on December 13.

The new modifications to the proposed regulation would, among other things:

  • increase the maximum label size for short-form warnings from 5 square inches to 12 square inches;
  • allow use of the short-form warning on the internet or in catalogs where the short form warning is used on the product label;
  • provide additional signal word options;
  • provide additional warning language options;
  • and provide minor clarifications on the wording of the warning.

Details on these proposed changes can be found here.

The proposed changes have initiated a new public comment period which will begin on December 17, 2021 and close on January 14, 2022. Interested parties may submit comments online.

GreenSoft can help with California Proposition 65

In November, GreenSoft Technology and RegTox Solutions held an Ask the Experts webinar on California Proposition 65, in which the proposed short-form warning label modifications were discussed.

View a clip from the webinar discussing the short-form warning label here. Or view the full-length webinar in our Webinar Archive.

GreenSoft Technology provides California Proposition 65 data services to help companies fulfill their California Proposition 65 obligations. Learn more about our California Proposition 65 data services here.

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EU RoHS

December 14, 2021 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

European Commission amends EU RoHS to add new Annex IV exemptions

3 New Exemptions Added To EU RoHS Annex IV List

eu-rohsOn November 15, the European Commission published an amendment to Annex IV of the EU RoHS Directive, which added 3 new phthalates exemptions.

Annex IV lists exemptions which specifically apply to medical devices and monitoring and control instruments.

The exemptions were entered into force as a matter of urgency and took effect retroactively on July 21, 2021.

The three new added exemption amendments are:

Exemption No. Exemption Description Expiry Date Link
45 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in ion-selective electrodes applied in point of care analysis of ionic substances present in human body fluids and/or in dialysate fluids 21 July 2028 Link
46 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in plastic components in MRI detector coils. 1 January 2024 Link
47 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) in spare parts recovered from and used for the repair or refurbishment of medical devices, including in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and their accessories, provided that the reuse takes place in auditable closed-loop business-to-business return systems and that each reuse of parts is notified to the customer. 21 July 2028 Link

Updated EU RoHS Exemptions List available to download

GreenSoft maintains a compiled list of the EU RoHS Exemptions in order to perform EU RoHS Data Services for our customers and to keep our GreenData Manager software up-to-date. We also make this list available online to the public for your convenience and reference.

Our compiled EU RoHS Exemptions List has been updated to include these three new exemption amendments. You can download the updated EU RoHS Exemptions List here.

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Ozone Depleting Substances

December 7, 2021 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

Why You Don’t Hear About the Ozone Layer Anymore

New Released Video Highlights The Success of ODS Regulations

ozone-videoOn November 24, Vox Media published a video about the success of the regulation of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

After scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer in the 1980s, countries across the world united to adopt the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which to date remains the only UN treaty that has ever been ratified by every country on Earth.

In the years after the production and consumption of ODS were regulated, the hole in the ozone stopped growing and has started shrinking. By 2065, the ozone layer is expected to have recovered completely. Given its unprecedented success, the Montreal Protocol is now considered to be one of the most successful environmental agreements of all time.

Watch Vox’s short educational video on the Montreal Protocol here.

GreenSoft Technology’s data services help companies comply with ODS restrictions

The Montreal Protocol initially controlled Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ODS, and was amended in 2007 to include Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). GreenSoft Technology collects data on the presence of these and other chemicals in products and components so that manufacturers can be sure their products are safe and compliant.

As part of our Data Services, we contact your suppliers as many times as it takes to obtain complete and accurate data about the substances in your products, providing you with the data you need to comply with ODS restrictions and other regulations, including RoHS, REACH, SCIP, Conflict Minerals, TSCA, California Proposition 65, EU MDR, and more.

Learn more about our Data Services here.

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