Material Compliance

The POPs-free program was initiated in 2010 to assist developing country parties and parties with econo-mies in transition in meeting their obligations under the Stockholm Convention. It facilitates work on the identification of POPs-free products and the exchange of information on alternatives and substitutes to POPs. The program also seeks to involve industry in the implementation of the Convention and to reduce the use of exemptions.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances, that is, they are carbon-based. They possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they:

1. remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time (many years);

2. become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water and – most notably – air;

3. accumulate in living organisms – including humans – and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food chain; and

4. are toxic to both humans and wildlife.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory contains all existing chemical substances manufactured, processed, or imported in the United States that do not qualify for an exemption or exclusion under the TSCA.
This may be your starting place for interacting with the EPA on TSCA regulatory matters.

The amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (widely known as WEEE or e-waste) generated every year in the EU is increasing rapidly. It is now one of the fastest growing waste streams. EU rules on WEEE aim to contribute to sustainable production and consumption. 

They address environmental and other issues caused by the growing number of discarded electronic devic-es in the EU.

European Commission - WEEE Directive

The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) sets out measures that address the adverse impacts of the genera-tion and management of waste on the environment and human health, and to improve efficient use of re-sources which are crucial for the transition to a circular economy.

As part of the implementation of the EU’s action plan for the circular economy adopted in 2015, the revised Waste Framework Directive went into force in July 2018. It gave the ECHA the task of developing a data-base with information on articles containing substances of very high concern: the Candidate List of the Substances of Concern In Products (SCIP) database. 

The SCIP database has three main objectives:

1. Decrease the generation of waste containing hazardous substances by supporting the substitution of substances of concern in articles on the EU market.

2. Make information available to further improve waste treatment operations.

3. Allow authorities to monitor the use of substances of concern in articles and to initiate appropriate actions over the articles’ whole lifecycle, including at their waste stage.

The SCIP database complements the existing communication and notification obligations for Candidate List substances in articles under REACH.

European Commission – WFD

The Directive on batteries and accumulators, known as the Battery Directive, is the current text in force regarding the manufacture and disposal of batteries in the European Union. Last amended in 2018, its aim is to improve the protection, preservation, and quality of the environment. 

The Directive mainly covers batteries containing hazardous elements such as mercury, cadmium, or lead, which present a risk to the environment and human health when incinerated or landfilled. It sets maximum quantities for certain metals and chemicals in batteries and it sets targets for waste battery collection rates, as well as financial liability for waste collection and management. 

European Commission - Battery Directive