The sector of electronic production, historically present in Europe, has started in the past few years to use equipment for lead-free welding. Many Italian, German and Spanish situations, are also awaiting definitive indications. The postponement to 2006 which forces, ina European context the use of specific equipment, definitely does not help. We remind that since April 2001 the regulations are in force in Japan.

On the market new products constantly appear with ever more interesting performance, but they are quickly obsolete. One of the problems this announced revolution will produce is the great quantity of electronic waste: cell phones, VCRs, PCs will end up in the waste basket.

The circuits they contain present heavy metals, such as lead, nickel and copper, which constitute a remarkable share of heavy metals, among which, first and foremost the tin-lead alloy. It is not a coincidence that lead constitutes an ever more important topic for recent World guidelines and regulations. Electronic waste already represent 40% of all lead-containing waste. In the European Union, for example, the quantity of electronic waste has increased at three times the speed of domestic waste. In Germany alone, currently, 2 million tons of electronic waste are produced, of which only 10% is properly disposed of. The rest ends up in dumps or is burnt.

Whereas gold and other metals can be re-cycled in an economical manner, currently no similar solutions are seen for the elimination of lead. The only solution is to avoid it.  However, not using it costs, and it will require large investments in a sector already in crisis in 2001.

December.2001

Balverzin
Ervet

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