Certified RoHS Product Categories

The main product groups concerning the RoHS directive

RoHS is a directive in the European Union that stands for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. It was created to control the use of hazardous materials often found in electrical and electronic equipment and goods. Furthermore, the directive was made to protect the health of humans, the state of the environment, and to guarantee electrical and electronic products can be recycled or disposed of safely. Any new product that was manufactured after July 1st 2006 must comply with the RoHS directive.

The following categories fall under the RoHS directive, and listed are a few examples of the types of products impacted:

  • First category: Large household appliances (fridges, stoves, dishwashers, washing machines)
  • Second category: Small household appliances (hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers)
  • Third category: Communications equipment & computing (desktop computers, laptops, printers, phones)
  • Fourth category: Consumer electronics (TVs, DVD players, stereos, video cameras)
  • Fifth category: Lighting (lamps, light bulbs)
  • Sixth category: Power tools (drills, saws, trimmers, blowers)
  • Seventh category: Toys, leisure and sports equipment (video games, treadmills, fitness trackers)
  • Eighth category: Medical devices and equipment – (in vitro diagnostic medical devices)
  • Ninth category: Monitoring and control equipment (thermostats, smoke detectors, fire alarms)
  • Tenth category: Automatic dispensers (vending machines, ATM machines)
  • Eleventh category: Miscellaneous types of electronic and electrical equipment that don’t fall under the previous categories (electric vehicles with two wheels, e-cigarettes, vape pens, electrical cables less than 250V)

Examples of electrical and electronic products requiring RoHS compliance

ROHS compliant sign with green leaf, vector illustration

The use of RoHS compliant electrical and non-electrical tools

The importance of RoHS is well documented in the categories and products already discussed, but what might be overlooked is the use of electrical and non-electrical tools in factories and workshops. It is firmly recommended that these too must be RoHS compliant, as they will be used in conjunction with the manufacturing of TVs, fridges, laptops, and so on. It’s often part of internal requirements that companies stick to the use of RoHS compliant tools.

The use of markers with electrical and electronic equipment is likewise an interesting topic. Due to the fact that markers are used for quality checks and production notes on some items, the markers also need to be RoHS compliant. It’s also possible that markers will be used during the manufacturing process, such as writing on circuit boards or cables, for instance. The edding 780 paint marker and 8404 aerospace marker are great examples of markers that can safely be used on different types of material and comply with the RoHS directives.

Furthermore, packaging used to house the electronic or electrical product does not fall under the RoHS directive, however, it’s worth noting that anything that will stay with the item (such as a sticker on a laptop or paint used for decoration) is strongly advised to be RoHS compliant.

More interesting topics to read about

edding 8407 cable marker mark on cable in wall

edding 8407 cable marker

With one of the thinnest nibs in the edding range at 0.3mm, the 8407 cable marker is perfect for electricians and IT professionals who are required to write information on different types of cables.

edding 8404 aerospace marker marks on metal

edding 8404 aerospace marker look at the RoHS directive

This particular marker is highly suitable for when it’s necessary to have low-corrosion ink and a thin nib. It can be used on circuit boards and many other types of metallic materials.