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Twenty five litre plastic drums are widely used throughout industry and find application in the printed circuit board (PCB) and metal finishing sectors for the supply of process chemistry to manufacturers. These drums represent an important source of recyclable high density polyethylene since the containers are made of single polymer and constitute an easily recognisable waste stream that provides a homogeneous recyclate. This paper summarises some of the obstacles that have to date inhibited the recycling of the containers used in the PCB and related sectors. It also details work to identify a viable recycling pathway and describes a number of real applications in which the recyclate can be put to use. The issues of contamination that have prevented recycling of these containers are also discussed and plans to establish a proposed industrial cross‐sectoral recycling scheme are also outlined.

Outlines and comments on the waste electrical and electronic equipment and the restriction on the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment directives, which have recently become law.

Focuses on, and provides a background of, the REACH Regulation, a new system of registration, evaluation and authorisation for chemicals.

In October 2003 The European Commission presented to the European parliament and the Council of the European Union (EU), a proposal for a Regulation that will radically reform Europe's existing chemical policy. The so‐called REACH Regulation will introduce a new system of Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation for Chemicals introduced on the EU market in volumes over 1 tonne per manufacturer per year. It will also establish a central Chemicals Agency to oversee the efficient operation of the new regulatory system. The implications of the draft Regulation on Europe's chemical manufacturers, importers, formulators and those sectors that either use or process chemicals, such as the electronics industry, will be manifold.

Despite a number of concessions granted to the chemical industry following an internet consultation, there remain serious doubts over the workability of the system, as well as concerns over substantial product losses and fears over the competitiveness of Europe's chemical industry.

This paper sets out to provide a background to the proposed reforms and an outline of the main components of the REACH system as well as a summary of some of the likely key impacts on the PCB industry.

To present an update and the latest results from work on a project aimed at enabling printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing to become more sustainable.

Various individual treatment technologies were studied individually under laboratory conditions and then combined into a pilot‐scale demonstrator line that was used to process effluent from a nickel‐gold plating line in a PCB production environment.

The use of these novel processes, including special electroplating techniques, advanced oxidation methods and a new ion exchange system can be combined to give a more sustainable treatment process for effluent emanating from PCB manufacturing. The approach also generates high quality pure water that can be recycled and reused in the manufacturing process.

The combined technology has been demonstrated with a nickel‐gold plating line. Further development work should be undertaken to tailor the technology for other parts of the PCB manufacturing process.

The paper details how individual treatment technologies can be combined to enable a much more sustainable approach to PCB manufacturing which offers the benefits of reduced effluent levels and a source of high purity recycled water.

To present the initial results from a project recently undertaken by Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Europe Ltd, in collaboration with a number of European partners, to develop individual elements of the traditional PCB manufacturing process towards a sustainable and zero‐discharge alternative.

This paper presents initial results from work aimed at enabling PCB manufacturing to become more sustainable. Novel processes evaluated include special electroplating techniques, advanced oxidation methods to remove organic contaminants, and new ion exchange systems. Work has been carried out to develop these processes into viable demonstrators and the results of progress to date are reported. Descriptions of how these individual technologies may be combined to provide an integrated approach to a more sustainable PCB manufacturing methodology are also given.

Initial results indicate that a more sustainable PCB manufacturing process may be achieved by combining the use of organic and metal capture resins with advanced oxidation and electrochemical recovery technologies.

The value of the paper lies in its provision of information from a project that is integrating available treatment technologies in a novel approach that will take the PCB manufacturing process closer to a zero effluent discharge situation.

The European Commission (EC) has drafted a proposal for reforming the European Union's (EU) chemicals policy. The chemical industry has welcomed the broad political objectives of this policy, particularly those of increased protection of human health and the environment. The chemical industry also agrees that the existing process for chemicals regulation in the EU has proven to be slow and inefficient. However, it has reacted strongly to many of the finer details of the proposal, and there is a growing consensus that if the EC implements the strategy as currently outlined in the White Paper on the “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy” it will have very serious implications on the competitiveness of Europe's chemical industry and related sectors.

The aim of the paper is to provide PCB fabricators with a top‐level understanding of the EC regulation for the registration, evaluation, restriction and authorization of chemicals (REACH) and to detail the implications for the sector now, and in the years ahead.

The paper describes the REACH regulation and the potential implications of the legislation on the PCB manufacturing sector. It highlights the current lack of preparation on the part of the interconnect industry for the regulation and provides some recommended activities for PCB fabricators in order to help them comply with the regulation.

A recent study on the readiness of the interconnect industry for REACH compliance revealed a worrying lack of preparation. This paper sets outs some of the activities that PCB fabricators should be undertaking to prepare for the regulation.

The paper provides an overview of the implications of the EC REACH regulation for the activities of PCB fabricators and gives some recommended actions to prepare for compliance.