[time-nuts] OT: RoHS crap

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message <45ABD815.2020207 at erols.com>, Chuck Harris writes:

Sorry, incoming rant:

>Especially when you consider the amount of lead that will enter
>the environment when a single automotive battery (which are not
>subject to RoHS, by the way) is improperly dumped.

Automotive batteries are subject to different and quite tough
regulations for recycling here in europe, and the recycling
frequency was up in the 99.8% range last I heard.

The main problem which RoHS tries to solve is that people throw
electronics in the household waste, which is often incinerated here
in Europe.

People tend to forget that RoHS is about more than lead,
it's also about Cadmium, Mercury, Chromium IV, PBB and PDBE,
most of which are significantly more harmful than metalic lead.

Because of the soldering issues, there exists what is called the
"RoHS5" excemtion where lead permitted in solder for hi-rel and
wide-temperature equipment.

As to the solder issues, the sad fact is that the average age of
consumer electronics these days is less than 3 years and that more
than 10% of it fails within the first two years.  Therefore
tin-whiskers and similar is mostly an academic issue in consumer
electronics: it's so shitty quality already that it doesn't make a
measurable difference on reliability.  (I'm told that Bang&Olufsen
has spent twice as much money on RoHS research as Sony).

Now, about how it came about...

Before RoHS was ratified, the EC had tried to negotiate voluntary
reductions and eliminations of harmful substances, with the electronics
industry, for most of a decade, but got nowhere because the industry
didn't take it seriously, and gambled that the EC wouldn't either.

After RoHS was ratified, the industry first tried getting it repealed,
while whining loudly.  When that failed, the resorted to just
whining, and then finally, when the deadlined loomed, they started
actually working the issues.

If "corporate responsibility" meant anything besides "make money
for the shareholders", then RoHS would never have happened:  The
electronics industry would have eliminated lead at the same time
it was eliminated from the gasoline.

As a consumer and a parent, I applaud RoHS, and with my electronics
hat on, I detest the industry which has been so hell bent on not
taking the clue for so many years.

Finally I'll cordially remind you gentlemen that there were similar
dire predictions when gasoline additives where changed from alcohols
to ethyl-lead and again when ethyl-lead was banned.

Regardless, the world spins unabated and cars still clog the arteries
of all major cities.

Poul-Henning

(Who will use SnPb solder until he runs out, probably 10 years from now.)

PS: There is a companion regulation to RoHS called WEEE -
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, which requires
consumer electronics to be recylable and recyled.

    http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee_index.htm


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