Fulleon, Their Switch and the Wardrobe

Keywords Fulleon, Environmental regulations, Legislation, Electronics industry

Industry is being subjected to more stringent environmental legislation. The focus of the End of Life Vehicle Directive, IPP, WEEE and ROHS is to get companies to examine the environmental impact of their company and their products, throughout the total product lifecycle, and take responsibility for it. Many companies equate this with increased expenditure in time and resources, and another slice off the bottom line. Despite British businesses feeling very apprehensive about the effect tighter environmental legislation could have on them, the truth is their fears are as real as the monster in the wardrobe. The government programme, Envirowise, is showing companies how making environmental improvements actually makes good business sense and even better financial sense. Companies grasping the bull by the horns, preparing for tightening legislation by adopting cleaner design principles, are making both monetary savings and improving their competitive advantage in the world market.

Cleaner Design is leading the way as a concept, which helps companies identify how to be compliant with environmental legislation and at the same time bring improvements to the bottom line. Integrated Product Policy (IPP) places the responsibility for a product s environmental impact from cradle to grave, with its producer. Concurrently, the End of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive hold the producer responsible for product recovery at the end of a product s life. Restriction of Hazardous Substance in electrical and electronic equipment (ROHS)...