UK: Update of UK RoHS

 

In the United Kingdom, a new draft statutory instrument on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 2022 has been published recently.

The measure will amend the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012 (“the RoHS Regulations”) as they apply in England and Wales and Scotland.

It will grant new specific and temporary exemptions which will be added as entries 97 to 99 of Table 1 in Schedule A2 of the RoHS Regulations. The exemptions apply to:

(1) Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in ion-selective electrodes applied in point of care analysis of ionic substances present in human body fluids and/or in dialysate fluids. This exemption will expire on 21 July 2028.

(2) Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in plastic components in MRI detector coils. This exemption will expire on 1 January 2024.

(3) Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) in spare parts recovered from and used for the repair or refurbishment of medical devices, including in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and their accessories, provided that the reuse takes place in auditable closed-loop business-to-business return systems and that each reuse of parts is notified to the customer. This exemption will expire on 21 July 2028.

The relevant provisions in the draft instrument will come into force on 1 July 2022.

The RoHS Regulation (both the EU version and its UK equivantent) normally ban the use of the following ten substances:

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).

However, there is a possibility to grant specific and temporary exemptions for some defined uses, if it’s necessary for the scientific and technical progress.