Emerging environmental, health and safety issues and requirements related to the coated wire and cable industry

Wire and cable are the backbone of modern telecommunications and are present in everything from household to automotive and electronic devices. They have come under increased scrutiny in Europe, the US and Japan due to NGO and government concerns over the materials found in them. Greiner Environmental and the Toxics Use Reduction Institute have been involved in research in this area that includes a review of up-to-date literature on the subject, phone interviews, a focus group meeting of Massachusetts' representatives of the wire and cable supply chain, and a report summarizing the issues. The key finding of this research is that under increasing customer and regulatory pressures, a growing number of companies in the United States are developing new, cleaner alternatives to materials of concern in coated wire and cable, including lead, halogenated flame retardants, and phthalates. The paper outlines a five-step approach for companies with wire components in their products to address the issue.