NEMA Environmental Stewardship Initiative

In 2006, the electroindustry through NEMA announced a voluntary, industry-wide commitment known as the NEMA “Call to Action” to achieve the elimination or reduction of six substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in many NEMA member products by July 2010 on a global basis. This commitment reflects standards originally enacted in European markets under the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, but NEMA members chose to extend their compliance with the standard to all markets in which electroindustry products are sold.  The “Call to Action” initiative also includes a second phase to identify further product stewardship measures, such as additional hazardous materials reductions and recycling programs.  The goal is to have those additional initiatives in place by July 2014. 

U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act

• Issue Brief  Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (144k)
• NEMA Summary of S. 847, Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (152k)
• American Alliance for Innovation (AAI) Press Release on Introduction of S. 847, Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (293k)

NEMA Statement of Principles on End-of-life Management of Electrical Products

End-of-life management programs involving collection and recycling are environmentally preferable for some products, but must be carefully structured to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness.  Click on the link below to view NEMA’s position on end-of-life management policies for electrical products.

• Statement of Principles on End-of-life Management of Electrical Products (52k)

NEMA Carbon Footprint Initiative

• Exploration into Environmental Assessment of Electrical Products Methodology for Carbon Footprint Estimation (338k)

European Union

Waste in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

• Text of March 2011 EU Member States Agreement on WEEE Directive Recast (565k)

Revision/Recast of Directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)

• Text of EU RoHS Directive (Recast), June 2011 (894k)

Reference Documents on EU RoHS

• EU Commission Staff Impact Assessment of RoHS Directive
• Summary of EU Commission Staff Impact Assessment of RoHS Directive
• Checklist for Requests for Additional Exemptions (119k)
• Text of 2002 EU Directive Banning Lead and Mercury in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (118k)
• EU Decision on Maximum Contaminant Values (107k)
• EU Exemption Consultation Document
• EU Consultant Report on Exemptions (880k)

• New exemptions for specific applications of substances banned under the European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive (132k)

Energy Using Products (EuP)

• Text of Final EUP Framework Directive (471k)

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restrictions of Chemicals (REACH)

• NEMA White Paper on REACH and U.S. Regulation of Chemicals (43k)

United States

• EPA Design for Environment Program
• EPA Lead Free Solder Partnership
• EPA PBT Program
• EPA Waste Minimization Program

California Safer Consumer Product Regulations – formerly Green Chemistry

• NEMA-CEA Comments on Informal Draft Regulations (December 2011) (283k)

NEMA Section Position Statements

Batteries

• Household Batteries and the Environment

Lamps

• Labeling of Mercury-Containing Lamps
• Alternatives to Mercury-Containing Lamps

Steel Rigid Conduit

• Hexavalent Chrome in Steel Conduit (155k)

• Lead in Steel Conduit (131k)

Imaging and Therapy Systems

• Regulation of Video Display Devices Used in Medical Products (111k)