For plastics and additive suppliers serving global markets, RoHS and REACH are two compliance thresholds that cannot be avoided. They differ in scope and emphasis and are often confused — here is a brief overview.

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) restricts the content of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE and other hazardous substances in EEE, mainly affecting plastics and additives used in electronics.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is a broader chemicals regulation: all chemical substances entering the EU market must be registered, with substances of very high concern (SVHC) subject to authorization and restriction. As chemical substances, additives must be assessed for composition, use and exposure scenarios.

Key compliance practices for additive companies include: establishing a hazardous substance database for raw materials and finished products with traceable upstream information; determining whether registration or notification obligations apply based on product composition and use; and monitoring the SVHC candidate list updates to plan composition adjustments in advance.

Compliance is not a one-time effort. Regulation lists keep evolving and customer requirements keep rising. Integrate compliance information into product lifecycle management with dedicated staff tracking regulatory changes, so export orders are never held up by outdated information.