REACH, RoHS, LCA: environmental requirements for connected products

REACH, RoHS, LCA: what are the requirements for your connected product?

When a connected product reaches the finalization stage, its safety, performance, and cybersecurity are not the only aspects that need to be verified. Its composition and environmental impact must also be taken into account in preparation for its market launch.

REACH and RoHS: monitoring regulated substances

Electrical and electronic products may contain substances subject to restrictions or specific obligations.

The REACH regulation governs chemical substances present in materials, mixtures, and articles. Meanwhile, the RoHS directive restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, specifically certain heavy metals, flame retardants, and plasticizers.

For manufacturers, the challenge lies in controlling product composition and gathering the necessary information from suppliers. Identifying a substance too late can lead to additional investigations, the replacement of a component, or a modification of the product.

LCA to better understand a product's impact

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) makes it possible to evaluate a product’s environmental impacts at various stages:

• raw material extraction,
• manufacturing,
• transport,
• use,
• end-of-life.

This approach helps identify key impact areas and provides objective data to progressively improve the product's environmental performance. It can also serve as a useful basis for meeting future eco-design and transparency requirements.

ESPR: Towards new ecodesign requirements

The European ESPR regulation, which focuses on the ecodesign of sustainable products, establishes a framework for progressively defining requirements by product category. These requirements may cover aspects such as durability, reparability, resource consumption, recyclability, and environmental footprint. However, their application will depend on specific acts adopted for each product group.

The digital product passport: better data structuring

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is designed to make specific information accessible in a standardized digital format throughout the product's lifecycle.

Depending on the category, it may include data regarding materials, repairability, environmental performance, compliance, or end-of-life. Its rollout will be phased, and the required information will be specified by the regulations applicable to each product group.

Anticipate from the development stage

Environmental compliance should not be addressed solely at the time of market launch; it requires the progressive collection of data regarding components, substances, and the product's lifecycle.

The LCIE Bureau Veritas teams conduct assessments and tests that enable manufacturers to better manage the requirements applicable to their electrical and connected products.