March 28, 2011

California RoHS Refresher

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulates hazardous substances used in the manufacture of certain electronic devices.

California’s Legislature modeled the California RoHS law after the European Union’s (EU) RoHS Directive, which bans six hazardous substances from electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU.

California RoHS prohibits a covered electronic device from being sold or offered for sale in California if that device is prohibited from being sold or offered for sale in the EU because of the presence of lead, mercury, cadmium, or hexavalent chromium above certain maximum concentration values.

Unlike the EU, California does not restrict polybrominated byphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in such devices.

Covered electronics in California are:

• Cathode-ray tube (CRT)-containing devices;
• CRTs;
• Computer monitors containing CRTs;
• Laptop computers with LCDs;
• LCD desktop monitors;
• TVs containing CRTs;
• LCD screen TVs;
• LCD screen DVDs; and
• Plasma TVs.

The RoHS prohibition does not apply to a covered electronic device sold or offered for sale in California only for purposes of or offering for resale to persons outside of California.

INFO: Contact Matt McCarron, Electronic Waste Recycling Program, at 916-341-6456.