ATP is committed to conducting business in an environmentally friendly manner. We endeavour to be good environmental neighbours locally, nationally and internationally. We are committed to supplying a range of appropriate, cost effective products manufactured from sustainable, re-cyclable, low hazard materials.
Recent Legislative Changes
RoHS and WEEE Directives -
What are the directives?
Both are EU Directives which have to be implemented in the law of all member states.
Many countries outside the EU are implementing similar laws including America, Japan and China.
RoHS[Reduction of Hazardous Substances]
Effective 1st July 2006, the RoHS Directive bans the sales of new electronic and electrical equipment which contains more than the permitted amounts of certain chemicals and metals, for products purchased and not physically in the EU by that date.
However there are a number of exempted applications for these substances.
WEEE [Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment]
The WEEE Directive encourages and sets criteria for the collection, treatment and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
It makes producers responsible for financing most of these activities.
To date there is not a full timetable for the implementation of the WEEE Directive.
Both of these are complex sets of legislation and useful management summary information can be obtained at the Environment Agency web site netregs.gov.uk
Who is affected?
All companies who manufacture, sell, distribute or recycle electrical or electronic equipment.
What is affected?
The WEEE Directive affects the following products:
large household appliances,
small household appliances,
IT and telecommunications equipment,
electrical and electronic tools,
lighting equipment,
consumer equipment, toys, leisure and sports equipment,
automatic dispensers,
medical devices [with the exception of implanted and infected products], &
monitoring and control instruments.
The RoHS Directive affects all the products above except:
medical devices [with the exception of implanted and infected products] and
monitoring & control instruments.
Scales are exempt, other than kitchen scales for domestic use.
Batteries are also excluded as they will be subject to a separate directive.
The ATP product range is subject to WEEE regulations, but the vast majority of ATP's products are defined as monitoring and control instruments and are exempt from RoHS. Timers are included under RoHS, defined as "Clocks, watches and equipment for the purpose of measuring, indicating or registering time" and ATP's range of Timers comply with the deadlines and requirements of the RoHS Directive.
Neither Directive is as yet fully transposed into law and there is still considerable discussion between the EU the DTI and lobby groups about the Directives.
There are still many grey areas in these complex and lengthy pieces of legislation.
Many companies including ATP will join schemes offered by commercial organisations such as B2B Compliance to sub-contract their WEEE management obligations.
It is clearly difficult to summarise complex legislation, further detailed information can be obtained by visiting the DTI web site at dti.gov.uk/sustainability
If you have any questions/comments about our Environmental Policy, you should email us using the contact form.
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