RoHS

Have any of you noticed the “RoHS” tag or screen on any of you motherboards lately? It stands for Europe’s “Restriction of Hazardous Substances” directive that is making your electronics more expensive in the interest of a greener planet. Of course The Land of Fruits and Nuts is next. You can read the full text of the RoHS directive here.

Although the driver for "environmentally friendly" products has been prevalent for some time, it has only been in the last few years that the need to produce such products has moved from being consumer-led to a legal requirement. With more and more electrical and electronic items becoming affordable, coupled with the shorter life cycle of these products, it was becoming critical that the problem be recognised in legislation.