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Managing global supply chains these days is made increasingly complex due to
a growing number of regulations and standards covering product content. In the
electronics sector we are familiar with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous
Substances), which started in the EU and has since been adopted – albeit with
different requirements – in a number of other countries. REACh (Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation of Chemicals) is another example of broad-reaching EU
environmental laws that have significant extraterritorial impacts. The nature
of the global economy means that when a major market, such as the EU, imposes
product content requirements, those requirements can reverberate throughout the
global supply chain. The scope of REACh is broad, covering chemical
manufacturers, importers, suppliers as well as downstream users. For the entire
supply chain, this will require that industry has an appropriate level of
knowledge of the properties of these chemicals, their uses, and to manage risk
throughout the supply chain.
Dow Corning recently launched a resource
center as part of a staged communication campaign on preparing for REACh
(you may want to bookmark the REACh resource center page for future reference).
At Dow Corning we believe that our established commitment to Product
Stewardship and Responsible Care® will assist us in preparing for some of the
inevitable changes in the chemical industry and related supply chains. Keith
Huckle sat down with Electronic News/Electronic Business at the Semicon West
conference in July to discuss corporate responsibility and product stewardship
in the supply chain.
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