RoHS Compliance Network > Compliance for Restricted Substances (RS)

Future Solutions to an Earth-Friendly Environment

By Julie Naujokas & Gene Rider, Intertek

The evolution and expansion of trade has become a driving force in our growing world economy. World trade creates easier global access to developing technologies including electronics. The increasing demand for technological innovation paired with the growing trend for fashionable, digitized gadgets and electronics, is fostering new environmental regulations and increased worldwide concern for all entities from humans, animals, to the entire ecosystem irregardless of global region.

RoHS, REACH, WEEE:

There are regional discrepancies in the severity of environmental regulations imposed and industry reaction to these regulations. In Europe for example, there are concerns about the impact on industry to comply with proposed European Union legislation. Furthermore, public reaction to enforcing new environmental regulations (such as REACH, RoHS & WEEE) is hindered despite both parties’ acceptance for the need to have specific guidelines by the simultaneous disagreement as to exactly what these guidelines will declare. Considering all the regulations imposed or awaiting legislative approval across the globe, “regulation overload” becomes apparent.

Smaller firms will suffer more from the higher costs required for compliance to future regulations. But that is not to say that large corporations will go unscathed. On the contrary due to the high recognition, reputation, and respect of the brands owned by these corporations, one slight mistake in implementing the required regulations or publicly rejecting the “reasonable steps” asked of your company can tarnish your brand forever. The trust, loyalty, and expectations of the customer center around a corporation’s ability to leverage their brand against all odds in favor of its target market.

But how do corporations master regulatory compliance? More and more corporations are relying on the expertise and reputation of outside consulting companies to help them sort through the “confusion of compliance”. A sound consulting company must be a “one-stop-shop” providing vendor training, global laboratory coverage for materials and components certification, environmental and quality compliance audits, and a 24/7 library of materials, components and vendor compliance data.

The Three Cs to Compliance:

The consulting company must provide the 3 Cs to compliance – Cost control by offering pre-screening alternatives in the substance level assessment of homogenized parts, Current information on all regulations proposed in every region, and a Confidential relationship between client and consultant. Intertek, a global leader in testing, certification, inspection and risk management, works with advisory teams and local experts to develop innovative solutions for renown corporations across the globe. For example, Intertek supports Microsoft in developing a successful business approach that defines their expectations with complete clarity to suppliers and associates alike through educational programs, effective monitoring systems, and continuous improvement processes.

To learn more about the entire range of Intertek Group PLC services, visit www.intertek.com. Intertek is comprised of five divisions, nearly 13,000 employees, and operates in more than 830 laboratories across the globe. Global leaders place their trust in Intertek to accurately assess products & commodities to safety and regulatory standards, and quality & performance criteria set by Standards Development Organizations, industries, and customers everywhere.

As published in Business Week, January 30, 2006.