Information on Chemicals in Electronic Products

A study of needs, gaps, obstacles and solutions to provide and access information on chemicals in electronic products

image of Information on Chemicals in Electronic Products

Many chemicals used in the electronics sector have negative consequences for human and environmental health. These include chemicals such as lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants, halogenated flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and phthalates. Typical electronic waste handling practices in developing countries are detrimental to the health of workers, their environment, and their communities. There are issues associated also with formal recycling in modern facilities, and the production phase is often problematic as well, with electronics workers potentially being exposed to carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. In addition, it is becoming apparent that recycling of valuable materials must be made more efficient as the price of virgin materials, metals, and minerals increases and their availability decreases. The problems are exacerbated by the fact that there has been a rapid increase in sales of electronics in the past several years, making e-waste one of the fastest-growing waste streams today. In order to minimize any potential risks to human or environmental health, electronics stakeholders in different stages of the life cycle of electronic products need information on what chemicals are present in the products, their properties, use and potential risks. This report studies the extent to which existing information systems meet the needs of different stakeholder groups, highlights information gaps and obstacles and discusses potential solutions to optimize the flow of information on chemicals in electronics. The report is carried out within the UNEP project on Chemicals in Products.



CiP information at end of life

This part of the study elaborates on how information on substances contained in electronic products is generated, transmitted and used by various actors at the end of the product life cycle. The chapter covers information related to both hazardous substances and valuable materials. Research as well as feedback from various stakeholders indicate that the flow of information on these two groups of substances is currently insufficient and that improved information exchange could have environmental as well as overall economic benefits.


This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred