The United States proposes an environmentally friendly design bill for electronic and electrical equipment
Since 2006, U.S. electrical appliance manufacturers, through the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), launched a voluntary initiative called Call to Action, pledging to reduce the levels of six restricted substances (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE) in their products by 2010. This initiative primarily responded to the EU's RoHS directive, but extended its scope to include all products sold on the market, requiring them to reduce the use of restricted substances.
Following voluntary action initiated by industry players, U.S. Representative Michael Burgess of Texas introduced the H.R. 2420: Environmentally Designed Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (EDEE Act) on May 14, 2009. The aim is to ensure nationwide regulations on hazardous substances used in electrical equipment across all states and in foreign trade. The EDEE Act would provide a unified federal framework for regulating all electrical and electronic equipment restrictions within the United States.
H.R. 2420 requires that electrical and electronic products manufactured after July 1, 2010, must contain no more than 0.1% lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), mercury (Hg), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in their homogeneous materials, and no more than 0.01% cadmium (Cd). However, the bill also allows for exemptions in certain cases, referencing the exclusion clauses of the EU RoHS Directive.
For detailed information on the product categories regulated by the EDEE Act, please refer to the documents provided by NEMA, which can be found at:
http://www.nema.org/about/join/materials/upload/NEMA_Product_Scopes.pdf#page=27
| | EU RoHS Directive | Proposed USA EDEE Act |
| Scope of Control | This refers to equipment that operates using electric current or electromagnetic fields, and equipment capable of generating, transmitting, and measuring electric current and electromagnetic fields. Its alternating current voltage must be less than 1000 volts, and its direct current voltage less than 1500 volts. | Products or equipment with a voltage of less than 300 volts, such as equipment using arc welding, lighting, signal protection and communication, medical imaging, electric motors and generators, or products or equipment that directly control, transmit, or distribute electricity. |
| Restricted substances | Lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE | Lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE |
| Maximum concentration limit | Except for cadmium (100 ppm), lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE were all at 1000 ppm. | Except for cadmium (100 ppm), lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE were all at 1000 ppm. |
– Reference source: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, August 25, 2009
– Translated by Plastic Industry Technology Development Center
For reference only, please refer to the original text.
