Material Compliance

The Waste Framework Directive sets out measures addressing the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste on the environment and human health, and for improving efficient use of resources 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 entered into force in July 2018. It gave ECHA the task to develop a database with information on articles containing substances of very high concern (SVHCs) on the Candidate List: the SCIP database (Substances of Concern In Products)

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 placed 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 initiate appropriate actions over the whole lifecycle of articles, 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

In order to assist developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition in meeting their obligations under the Stockholm Convention, the POPs-free program was initiated in 2010 to facilitate 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 into 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 the 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 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 electronics in the EU.

European Commission - WEEE Directive

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, it aims at improving the protection, preservation and quality of the environment. 

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

European Commission - Battery Directive

The PFAS consultation period was planned by the European Commission in September 2023. The commission carries out risk- and socio economic assessments, which are ongoing in 2024. In accordance to the current timeline, first restrictions will become effective in 2027.

ABB participated in the PFAS consultation period, and verified the presence of PFAS in products.

European Commission – PFAS