RoHS and REACH
Edmund Optics strives not just to meet, but exceed, all applicable environmental regulations and laws where we do business and being RoHS compliant is a part of that. RoHS Directive Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Recast or "RoHS 2" was adopted June 8, 2011, and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 1, 2011, thereby establishing its effective dates. It repeals the original RoHS Directive, which has regulated hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) since June 2006. On 22 July, 2019, the list of hazardous chemicals grew to ten, the revision being commonly referred to as RoHS 3.
The RoHS directive regulates the use of ten hazardous substances (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)).
The RoHS directive under the Recast now includes a CE-marking directive. This means if an electrical/electronic product, device or equipment has the CE mark, it is also RoHS compliant. The impact of the RoHS directive can be seen around the world. Most product manufacturers, importers, and exporters, as well as consumers, require the products they purchase to meet this directive or use an exemption that allows the product to be sold in the EU marketplace.
Will the products I buy from Edmund Optics comply with the RoHS Directive?
YAs a manufacturer and supplier of a diverse range of products, EO continuously reviews our product offering with product designers and suppliers to improve our product lines and meet RoHS requirements whenever possible. Due to the complex nature of optics, many optical components must include the use of restricted substances to maintain the effective refractive index, partial dispersion, and UV transmittance for various technical applications. These products that contain these substances utilize exemptions, which are reviewed on a regular basis by the appropriate regulating body. We may find that an exemption has not been renewed or it has expired. We will do our due diligence in ensuring that the website and all documentation is updated at our earliest opportunity should this occur.
What changes occurred with RoHS 3 that impact Edmund Optics product lines?
Exemption Expirations: There is now an expiration on the exemptions used on some of our products. These exemptions may be renewed by the EU Commission no earlier than 6 months before the expiration.
CE Mark: Required for electronics that EO will import into the European Union directly. This does not impact our optical materials and products that are not considered electronics. If an item that you wish to purchase is not RoHS compliant, please contact one of our Product Support Specialists who can assist you in obtaining a RoHS compliant product for your application needs. To learn the current status of specific stock numbers and print a certificate for compliant stock numbers, use our RoHS Lookup Tool.
Another regulation we are continually working to comply with is REACH- Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH aims to protect both human health and the environment from the risks chemicals present. As the list of chemicals is updated several times a year, Edmund Optics is maintaining a database to continually work to meet this regulation.
Kobe Steel Statement
Kobe Steel, Ltd. (also referred to as KOBELCO) made an initial announcement on Oct. 8, 2017, stating that materials from some of its lots and locations were noncompliant to specification requirements. Edmund Optics would like to assure our clients that to the best of our knowledge we have not sold any products to our customers that contain any of the affected materials.
Kobe Steel Statement
Hazardous Substance Manufacturer Declaration (TSCA)
Based on information available to Edmund Optics, and to the best of our knowledge, Edmund Optics branded product(s) supplied directly by Edmund Optics, do not contain any of the legally restricted substances, either intentionally added, or in concentrations exceeding legal threshold limits (except for use in legally exempted applications).
Full TSCA Statement
California’s Proposition 65
To our customers: we understand that our products may be sold to businesses in California that may be subject to California’s Proposition 65, Cal. Health & Safety Code 25249.7 et seq. Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to consumers if they are exposed to certain chemicals above the legal threshold. While trace levels of Proposition 65 chemicals may be detectable in components of our products, these chemicals are generally inaccessible to consumers and would not be expected to present any consumer exposure under customary use conditions.
EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive requires all Member EU countries to maximise the separate collection, reuse and recycling of WEEE. The UK WEEE Regulations (derived from this Directive) applies to all Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) placed on the market in the UK covered by the scope of these Regulations.
Under the UK WEEE Regulations, “Producers” are required to mark all relevant EEE with a “crossed-out wheelie bin” symbol to remind consumers not to discard WEEE in the domestic waste stream. Edmund Optics encourages all of its customers to make note of this symbol and avoid putting any WEEE in your domestic waste bin(s) or container(s).

Edmund Optics supports the reuse and recycling of WEEE as there are several environmental benefits of doing so, such as: reduction of raw material and energy usage, prevention of landfill, and prevention of hazardous and/or toxic materials present in some WEEE contaminating the environment.
As a Producer under the UK WEEE Regulations, Edmund Optics complies with its Producer Obligations by being registered as a Member of the WeeeCare Compliance Scheme and obtaining the WEEE Producer Registration Number – WEE/BA0554ZV.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Certificate
Under the UK WEEE Regulations, “Distributors” are required to provide a “take-back” system which allows customers (end users) the opportunity to return (or “take-back”) their WEEE to a Distributor free of charge, when supplying new EEE on a like-for-like basis.
As a B2B Producer and Distributor under the UK WEEE Regulations, Edmund Optics allows for end users of the EEE placed on the market in the UK to return WEEE back to us free of charge. Please contact us for details on how to return parts to us.
Alternatively, there is a network of recycling centres across the UK where consumers of WEEE can also take WEEE free of charge to be discarded, reused and/or recycled. The complete list of locations can be found at www.recyclenow.com.
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Edmund Optics GmbH Germany acts as an agent for Edmund Optics Ltd. UK. The contract partner is Edmund Optics Ltd. UK.