re: Message 12698885
Environmental Legislation Status
Lead Free Project Legislative Report
There is, as yet, no legislation specifically banning lead bearing solders in Japan. But major companies there are curtailing the use of lead bearing solders. There is concern that this will be used to either restrict imports or to gain marketing advantage over foreign competitors. An example of this is provided below:
October 7, 1999, 11:45 a.m. PT TOKYO?Sony, NEC, and other major Japanese electronic makers plan to curtail the use of lead in products, due to environmental concerns. ?We plan to cut the use of lead solder in our products to 235 tons a year from 2002, against 470 tons in 1997, on a worldwide basis,? said a spokesperson for Tokyo-based NEC, Japan?s second-largest computer maker and its largest chipmaker.
NEC also plans to use lead-free semiconductor parts supplied by other manufacturers, he said. A spokesman for Hitachi said Japan?s largest electric machinery maker plans to cut its use of lead by 50 percent, and not to use lead in new products from 2001. Hitachi consumed 13 tons of lead per month in 1997.
Hitachi also plans to invest 1.2 billion yen ($11.2 million) to expand production of lead-free solder, he said.
Meanwhile, Sony, the world?s second-largest consumer electronics maker, has asked its 500 suppliers of equipment parts not to use lead, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan?s leading financial daily, reported today. Sony plans to use lead-free solder in domestic products from the end of 2000 and in all products from the end of 2001, it said. The daily also said Matsushita Electronics plans to use lead-free solder in its semiconductor products.
In Europe, there is a proposed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive that would ban lead bearing solders by 2004. It is important to understand that:
The third WEEE draft is not a regulation?not even a common text of the EU commission. It is just a new proposal by G11 (environment) and it is not accepted as such by several other DG?s; this text is normally for the commission's internal consultation.
When a common proposal comes, all modifications or rejection lies with the EU Council of environment Ministers AND the European Parliament (6 months to over 24 months process).
Several industrial organisations are reacting to this new draft and meeting at the highest political level will take place in September
Industry still has good hope to postpone the ban by a few years or to obtain larger exemptions and will ask for a real cost/benefit analysis.
Solder for aerospace,automotive,nuclear industries etc., are not covered by the present text.
The full text of the WEEE directive can be found at the following web site: www.icer.org.uk <http://www.icer.org.uk/>
Currently there is no legislation in the United States or Canada that would ban lead bearing solders.
Despite the legislative uncertainty, there is a strong feeling in Europe that some sort of ban on lead-free solders will be implemented. There is also an effort underway to solution many of the environmental issues through extensive recycling of electronic boxes and assemblies. Given the plans in Japan to use lead free for market advantage, Europe and the U.S. manufactureres must respond if they plan to sell in that market. It is almost a given, that if lead free can be made to work for one market it will be extended to all.
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