Case Study: Materials Restrictions
The European Union's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, effective July 1, 2006, seeks to phase out the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and three other substances used in electronic products such as computers, televisions and mobile phones. This is principally aimed at minimizing negative environmental impacts from these substances throughout the product life cycle, in particular at product end-of-life. Other countries, including China and Japan, as well as some U.S. states, have enacted similar legislation.
Although the present RoHS Directive does not include medical equipment, Baxter recognizes that, following a review by ERA Consultants in 2006 on behalf of the EU Commission, this is likely to happen by 2012. Baxter is developing a global strategy to eliminate the hazardous substances listed under RoHS.
The European Union's proposed new chemical policy, called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals), also will impact Baxter. Under the legislation, chemical suppliers, manufacturers or importers of more than one metric ton of a chemical substance each year must register the substance in a central database. The regulation will expand significantly the number of substances that will require authorization for use.
To keep informed of these trends, Baxter's cross-functional European EHS Task Force assesses existing, new and emerging environmental regulations in Europe to identify and prioritize critical business issues, and a global EHS team monitors such regulations worldwide. The group then develops a strategy and recommends positions on key issues for Baxter, taking into account concerns of customers, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.
