Electronics Recycling Legislation in the USA and CanadaBeginning in 2007, a California law will ban the sale of some electronic devices that contain certain hazardous substances. The Electronic Waste Recycling Act (EWRA), which was signed into law in September of 2003, requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to adopt regulations to prohibit covered electronic devices, as defined, from being "sold or offered for sale" in California if they are prohibited from sale in the European Union (EU) because they contain certain heavy metals.
California's RoHS law differs from the EU RoHS directive in the scope of products covered by the restriction and the number of restricted substances.
Scope of Products - The EU directive applies to "electrical and electronic equipment," which is defined in part as "equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields..." California's RoHS applies only to "covered electronic devices," which are certain categories of video display devices listed in DTSC's regulations.
Scope of Substances - The EU restriction covers six substances: four metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) as well as PBBs and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). California's RoHS law applies only to the four metals. The use of PBBs and PBDEs is not restricted under California's RoHS law.
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