RoHS Directive is a regulation of the European Union that was adopted to limit the use of several hazardous chemical substances found in electrical and electronic equipment. The regulation was passed to manage electronic waste, encourage safer alternatives, and support recycling efforts.
The RoHS Directive currently restricts the use of ten substances commonly used in electrical and electronic equipment due to their toxicity, environmental persistence, or being considered hazards to human health. These substances include lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP).
Unless specifically excluded, all products with electrical and electronic components must comply with these restrictions. The RoHS regulation pushes manufacturers toward innovation in material science and product design, reducing the ecological footprint of electrical and electronic equipment, which is one of the largest and most complex global industries.