As a key equipment for power distribution, the environmental performance of lighting electrical ready boards' components directly affects ecological security and sustainable development. At present, a global environmental standard system has been formed with the EU RoHS directive as the core and multi country regulatory coordination and control. China has also established a comprehensive mandatory certification system.

1、 EU RoHS Directive

This directive explicitly limits 10 harmful substances, including lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and hexavalent chromium (Cr ⁶⁺), requiring cadmium content in components to be ≤ 0.01% (100ppm) and other substances to be ≤ 0.1% (1000ppm). Its control scope covers the entire industry chain of lighting equipment, requiring suppliers to provide XRF+ICP-MS testing reports and establish an annual supervision mechanism. For example, a certain brand of circuit breaker was recalled due to excessive levels of polybrominated biphenyls (PBDE) in its plastic shell coating, highlighting the importance of material compliance.

2、 China's Environmental Protection Standard System

The "Management Measures for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" in China are highly in line with EU standards, and include lighting electrical ready boards in the key control list. In addition to restricting six harmful substances such as lead and mercury, there are also new requirements for the control of phthalates (PBB/PBDE). All components must pass 3C certification and provide a material composition statement. A domestic electrical ready board has successfully passed the GB/T 26572-2011 environmental testing and become an industry benchmark due to the use of halogen-free flame retardants instead of traditional PVC materials.

3、 International Collaboration and Emerging Trends

The IEC 62474 standard promotes the labeling of carbon footprint for electronic components, requiring disclosure of full lifecycle carbon emissions. At the same time, the REACH regulation has been extended to 224 substances of high concern (SVHC), requiring a concentration of ≤ 0.1%. Some leading companies adopt blockchain technology to achieve supply chain environmental traceability, such as Schneider Electric's "Green Supply Chain" plan to ensure that circuit breaker contact materials comply with RoHS requirements.

4、 Testing and Certification Practice

Components need to undergo double random testing: SGS and other institutions use X-ray fluorescence spectrometer for initial screening, supplemented by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for precise quantification. According to data from a certain laboratory, the hexavalent chromium content of relay contacts made of environmentally friendly copper alloy can be reduced from 800ppm in traditional processes to below 5ppm. In addition, the brand requires suppliers to sign an Environmental Compliance Assurance Agreement and promises to update the testing report every two years.

conclusion

Environmental standards are driving the electrical ready board industry towards a green transformation. Through material substitution (such as bio based plastics), process optimization (such as cyanide free electroplating), and energy management (such as photovoltaic energy storage module integration), future electrical ready boards will achieve "zero pollution" full lifecycle management. This change not only reduces environmental risks, but also opens up the green procurement market for enterprises, forming a win-win loop between environmental protection and commercial value.