PRODUCT ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE - THE EPEC FORM

The above-mentioned Enviropass Product Environmental Compliance (EPEC) form is entirely free and kept up to date to help you collect environmental information from your suppliers. Don’t hesitate to use it as a template when collecting environmental data from your supply chain.

Tutorial with video transcript

Why Using the EPEC Form?

Because…

Stakeholders, third parties, customers, and suppliers don’t necessarily know what information must be collected to build your internal environmental compliance database and your product technical documentation.

The Enviropass Product Environmental Compliance (EPEC) form constitutes a certificate with compliance information on materials, parts, and series. Such a certificate can be used as evidence of due diligence.

Using the EPEC form, you can build your product technical files, based on risk assessment and substance management. This is required under Europe RoHS, REACH SVHC, Persistent Organic Pollutants, California Prop. 65, as well as the batteries and packaging regulations for the restrictions of hazardous substances.

This EPEC form enables you to keep abreast of the current regulatory status. For instance, the REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) list is updated every six months with additional substances. Europe RoHS exemptions are also regularly updated, either replaced, modified, split, or removed. As a result, the EPEC Form is constantly revised and improved to reflect the regulatory amendments.

This EPEC form is based on various regulations and standards, such as the IEC 62474 – Material Declaration for Products of and for the Electrotechnical Industry – as well as the IEC 62474 database.

Use and share the EPEC form with your colleagues and partners!

How to Fill in the Compliance Fields?

To confirm compliance, the supplier’s name and part number(s) must be declared in the first tab of the EPEC form. As a result, every applicable subsequent tab must be filled in as well. Fields with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. If a mandatory field is not filled in, then your EPEC form may be rejected. It is also possible to give some precisions in the comment area, at the bottom of every tab.

The Supplier's Information Tab

Here, the supplier enters general information such as the company’s name, the authorized representative information, the date, and the items, or series references. Materials, parts, components, series, sub-assemblies, or products are entered in this latest field and should be distinguishable.

The supplier is allowed to enter all part numbers that have the same compliance status (e.g same RoHS, Reach and Prop. 65 information) on the same form. Any parts that have a different compliance status will have to be listed on a separate form.

The Europe RoHS Tab

The European Union RoHS tab applies to items or series that are used in electrical or electronic equipment and must be compatible with the European requirements. Items or series can either comply without exemption, comply with valid exemption(s), or not comply. If any EU RoHS exemption applies, then it must be listed accordingly.

The REACH SVHC Tab

The EU REACH Annex XVII compliance status of restricted substances, as well as the declarable Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), must be indicated in this tab.

The POP Tab

If present in the evaluated items or series, any regulated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) must be listed in this tab.

The Prop 65 Tab

This tab is used for products that must be compatible with the California Proposition 65 obligations. Any declarable Prop 65 substances, that are present in the in-scope items or series must be declared here.

TSCA PBT Tab

To confirm compliance with the TSCA PBT law, you need to declare whether the restricted substances are present in your products.

The Battery Tab

This tab is specific to battery compliance. Indeed, the Europe RoHS tab does not typically apply to batteries. And questions on the chemical concentrations in batteries must be answered here.

The Packaging Tab

Similar to the battery tab, the presence of heavy metals in packages status must be stated here, to confirm packaging environmental compliance.

When should I Use the EPEC Form?

Whenever you want to confirm that a new item or a series complies with the RoHS, REACH SVHC, Persistent Organic Pollutants POP, Prop 65, battery, or packaging requirements. And the sooner the better… to avoid possible product redesign costs.

Whenever you want to make sure that your new products verify comply with the obligation in markets like the European Union, California, or others. To do so, you will have to compile certificates of compliance for all of your parts and materials.

What about Conflict Minerals?

A separate form has been developed by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI). It is the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT).

Similar to the EPEC, the CMRT is free of charge and provided in an Excel format.

And Slavery and Human Trafficking?

Just like Conflict Minerals, a template has been created by the Social Responsibility Alliance (SRA): the Slavery & Trafficking Risk Template (STRT), which is also free, and available in an Excel format.

Any questions? Please contact Enviropass.

Environmental Assessment