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Talk to our experts- RoHS
- RoHS is the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (2011/65/EU), which restricts ten hazardous substances, including lead, mercury and cadmium, in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the EU market. Each substance has a maximum concentration value by weight in homogeneous materials: 0.1 percent, or 0.01 percent for cadmium.
Also called: Restriction of Hazardous Substances, RoHS Directive, Directive 2011/65/EU
How it works
RoHS, the EU directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, lays down rules restricting hazardous substances in EEE to help protect human health and the environment, including the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste EEE. The European Commission says EU laws have restricted hazardous substances in EEE through the RoHS Directive starting in 2003, and the latest RoHS Directive entered into force on 21 July 2011.
Member States must ensure that EEE placed on the market, including cables and spare parts for its repair, reuse, updating of functionalities or upgrading of capacity, does not contain the restricted substances beyond the tolerated values. The restriction does not apply to the applications listed in the directive's Annexes III and IV, and the Commission's RoHS page lists exemptions adopted by delegated directives.
The 10 restricted substances
Annex II, as replaced by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863, sets these maximum concentration values by weight in homogeneous materials:
- Lead: 0.1 percent
- Mercury: 0.1 percent
- Cadmium: 0.01 percent
- Hexavalent chromium: 0.1 percent
- Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB): 0.1 percent
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE): 0.1 percent
- Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP): 0.1 percent
- Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP): 0.1 percent
- Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): 0.1 percent
- Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP): 0.1 percent
The four phthalates were added by the 2015 amendment, which Member States had to apply from 22 July 2019, and from 22 July 2021 for medical devices and monitoring and control instruments.
How a manufacturer shows RoHS compliance
How a manufacturer shows RoHS compliance
The manufacturer ensures the EEE is designed and manufactured to the Article 4 restrictions.
The manufacturer draws up the technical documentation and carries out internal production control.
The declaration states that the Article 4 requirements have been met.
The manufacturer affixes the CE marking on the finished product.
The documentation and declaration are kept for 10 years after the EEE is placed on the market.
In the absence of evidence to the contrary, Member States presume EEE bearing the CE marking to comply with the directive. This is general information, not legal or regulatory advice.
Example
A components distributor lists 2,000 parts for EU buyers, and manufacturer data marks 1,850 as RoHS compliant: 2,000 minus 1,850 = 150 parts without RoHS data. Those 150 need RoHS data from the manufacturer before they can carry a RoHS compliant flag.
On Shopify
Shopify Search & Discovery filters let customers refine which products are displayed on collection pages and in search results. Product metafield filters are based on product metafields assigned to all products in the store, and true or false is one of the value types Shopify lists, so a RoHS compliant flag stored in a metafield can become a storefront filter.
How Uncap helps
On Uncap's electronic components page, RoHS and REACH compliance is carried on the page as structured product data rather than as a PDF, so it is visible before checkout and filterable during the search. Uncap's electrical and electronics page explains why RoHS status decides whether a part is a candidate for an engineer designing for the EU market.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What are the 10 RoHS substances?
The 10 RoHS substances are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP. Each is limited to 0.1 percent by weight in homogeneous materials, except cadmium at 0.01 percent.
What products fall under RoHS?
RoHS covers electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market, including cables and spare parts for its repair or upgrade. The European Commission says all products with an electrical and electronic component, unless specifically excluded, have to comply.
How do I know if a product is RoHS compliant?
Under RoHS, the manufacturer draws up an EU declaration of conformity stating that the requirements of Article 4 of the directive have been met and affixes the CE marking. EU Member States presume EEE bearing the CE marking complies, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, so ask the supplier for the declaration.
What is the purpose of RoHS?
The purpose of RoHS is to restrict hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment to help protect human health and the environment, including the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
