The United States : Efforts here are a little more piecemeal than across the pond; while there is no federal legislation on the books or pending that is similar to that of Europe 's RoHS or WEEE directives, the federal legislature has considered such legislation before. There are also federal regulations governing the disposal of waste containing lead and other toxic substances found in electronics.
At the state level, there is a different story, however. A number of states within the United States are considering RoHS- and WEEE-like legislation, and California has already adopted RoHS legislation that mirrors the laws going into effect in Europe .

New California Law!

The California law goes into effect at the beginning of 2007. Essentially following the same requirements as those found in the European legislation, devices that don't meet that criteria won't be able to be manufactured, sold or imported into California after Jan. 1, 2007. However, the California legislation is not as broad as the European legislation in terms of the devices covered; the California laws won't cover mobile phones or DVD players, for example.

Japan : While Japan hasn't legally mandated reduction or elimination of lead, the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI) early on called for the use of lead in electronics to be reduced by 50 percent by 2000 and 75 percent by this year, according to IPC. Many Japanese electronics companies, with their eyes on the European market, as well, have chosen to voluntarily comply.

In the field of electronics recycling, Japan took an early lead. MITI proposed take-back/recycling legislation as early as mid-1998; the Japanese Home Electronics Recycling Law mandated that Japanese OEMs be prepared to collect and recycle air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions and washing machines by April 2001.

In 2001 Japan also updated a decade-old recycling law to address PCs. Since October 2003, that law has required the recycling of PCs discarded by both private citizens and businesses.

China : It is rather ironic, considering that China has in the past been a dumping ground for waste electronics. But China is racing Europe to put its own version of the RoHS directive into place, dubbed the Regulation for Pollution Control of Electronics Products.

But the move isn't entirely environmentally altruistic; Europe buys roughly 25 percent of China 's electronics exports, approximately $50 billion in 2004. Similar to Europe's RoHS , China 's version of the regulations is set to go into effect concurrently in July of 2006.

China is also apparently developing its own version WEEE legislation, dubbed Management Regulations on the Recycling of Used Household Electrical Products and Electronic Products.

South Korea : While it hasn't mandated lead-free electronics inside its own borders, it has enacted a voluntary compliance program to phase out lead and the other five substances named in the European RoHS initiative to ensure that its producers are able to maintain access to European markets.

South Korea has also legislated electronics recycling, requiring producers and importers to take back and recycle both their products and packaging. The legislation created phased recycling targets for various electrical and electronic equipment, according to the IPC. Manufacturers of computers and televisions must recycle 55 percent of their products this year and 65 percent by 2006. Mobile phone and audio equipment manufacturers are required to reach 60 percent by 2005 and 70 percent by 2006.