Several governments in Europe and the Far East are considering regulation to prohibit or restrict the use of certain types of substances in electronic (and other) products. Within the marketplace, the OEM's have initiated environmentally-preferable purchasing standards that also include restrictions on the use of these substances in certain products.
In order for the electronics industry to continue its commitment to product stewardship, companies throughout the supply chain will need to understand which alternatives are available, as well as the electrical, mechanical and environmental, health and safety properties of these alternatives. This leads to the following points:
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System integrators or OEM's are asking the supply base companies to offer and deliver cost efficient, reliable, environmentally safe products.
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This is a challenge for the supply chain companies because of the large variety of components and assemblies that must be made Halogen-Free.
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Although some Halogen-Free components and materials are available, there is no information on how they perform when assembled together.
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HDPUG is proposing a cooperative effort which would give both suppliers and OEMs important information and build confidence in Halogen-Free.
