Management of restricted substances in consumer products

Management of restricted material content is an increasingly significant business issue for manufacturers of electronic products. Failure to properly manage restricted material content can not only hinder market access for products today, but can also create significant long-term costs not typically accounted for in product profitability calculations. Many manufacturers are identifying product end-of-life issues as significant during environmental management system (EMS) reviews, and are stepping-up efforts to address this highly complex issue. A successful restricted material management program requires close cooperation from both internal resources (environmental and product engineering, marketing, procurement) and external stakeholders (customers and suppliers). This article outlines the international regulatory parameters driving the need for restricted material management, and presents an effective management system that is currently being implemented by industry.