If you are importing goods into the EU, you must have heard about REACH and RoHS. These are goods import regulations that every importer must abide by. But despite these acronyms getting extensively used, there are certain requirements that these regulations have and which are confusing. Importers find it difficult to understand which compliance they need to follow and what are the implications of non-compliance. These compliances change regularly and if you don’t know the specifications, this is going to impact your procedures. Hence, in this article, we are breaking down the differences between REACH and RoHS.

What is REACH?

REACH was adopted in the European Union to help protect humans and the environment from the negative impacts of the chemical risks. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and the Restriction of Chemicals. This has been in action since the 1st June 2007 and soon became a very important regulatory compliance within the EU.

The REACH requirements are applied to the entire line of products as well as the use of all the chemical substances. And absolutely any product, hence, comes under the intuition of the REACH.

But the REACH requirements are not only meant for the chemicals that are used in industrial processes and manufacturing, but also for the chemicals that you use in your daily life. It is applicable for consumer goods like cleaning products, paints, furniture, toys, clothes and electrical equipment. This regulation is consistent with all the 28 EU member states and must be enforced immediately upon enactment.

What is RoHS?

This is much similar to that of REACH. The Restriction of Hazardous Materials (RoHS) under the EU also regulates the usage of chemical substances in the products very sternly. The main of the RoHS, however, is a bit different than that of the REACH. The RoHS has a primary motive of reducing the volume of toxic electrical wastes that get used daily. This directive is also very closely related to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive or WEEE that is known for setting targets for electrical goods.

The REACH applies to a wide range of products, but the RoHS only concentrates on electrical products. This category, however, includes a wide range of products starting right from home appliances to monitoring or control equipment.

When you want to test for REACH or RoHS compliance, consult Enviropass for their best services and consultation.