This column and the next two take stock of the current state and future of the hazardous-substance-free (HSF) movement and its effects on industry, and share my perspectives on the potential effects of QC 080000 IECQ HSPM. A vision of the future: The industry will forevermore be held accountable for knowing, disclosing, and managing hazardous substances used in production processes and embedded in products.

Why such certainty? I see four significant trends at work today:

• More and more people are becoming sensitive to and experiencing the consequences of hazardous substances, industrialization, and environmental degradation. For most of human history, much of humanity has been able to ignore most environmental issues. It just didn’t seem to matter enough, and the lives of most people were relatively unaffected. Today, polluted air, impure foods, and climate change are part of the everyday lives of many people around the globe and they don’t like it.
• Therefore, many people are changing values. Also governments around the world have come to a consensus that they must protect people from hazardous substances. Their primary method to accomplish this is holding businesses accountable for the hazards they create and the damage they do. People expect and demand that products be safe, and that business not create a hazardous environment from how they make and distribute their products. From the standpoint of behavioral science, the world is in the midst of a massive socialization process, one that fundamentally changes the norms and expectations of society. Many companies understand this and are moving voluntarily to greener products and processes solely to attract and retain customers who value the environment.
• The converse is evident also. People are turning away from products that they know to be hazardous or unfriendly to the environment. Companies moving to green products are appreciated and preferred for having embraced the new green values and gain competitive advantage. The branding for their company and their products is enhanced. Social responsibility for the environment is a differentiator and will grow as such in the marketplace. This green value is affecting many different industries. Perhaps the most focus is on the electronics industry as the number of cell phones, computers, and other electronics grows exponentially and the hazards from a number of materials used are identified.
• The fourth trend affecting humanity’s movement toward HSF is the availability of information. Much has become known and written that is easily accessible about two separate aspects: The effects of hazardous substances on human health and the environment, and the specific hazardous substances contained in or likely to be found in various products. Marketing of many products now says something like “This products contains X” or “This product is Y-free.” In the United States, the term “fat-free” sells a lot of products, which seems strange, as so many Americans are decidedly not fat-free. The growth of the Internet continues to provide an explosion of available information as well as misinformation.

Unlike a decade ago, there is much information and opinion available related to anything that adversely affects the environment or poses a hazard to people. Of course, having information available doesn’t change the world by itself; that’s why this next trend is also a key ingredient to the socialization process. The final trend is simply greater exposure to information. Between the Internet and traditional corporate media, more and more people are becoming aware of hazardous-substance issues. It’s not just that there’s more information out there, it’s that this information is getting broadcast more often and and getting stuck in our faces where it cannot be ignored.

The news on television, radio, and the Internet in many countries is full of stories about how people’s lives are affected by chemicals, tainted food, exposure to radiation, and disease from tainted water supplies. Products are marketed as green and environmentally friendly, which again creates a constant barrage to remind us that these values should be important in what we buy and what we do.

What else do we know about today?
We know that these trends are accelerating. The global green movement and the world’s business community are being propelled and affected by these four trends. We know that the electronics and electrical goods industries have yet to emerge from the chaos brought on by the European Union’s bold move to regulate six hazardous substances and the similar regulatory restrictions rising up around the globe. Some companies have responded with very costly and questionable routines of supplier questionnaires, self-declarations, and elaborate testing to ensure RoHS compliance. Now, looking at what they have created, many of those companies are beginning to seek a more rational, cost-effective, and sustainable approach. Still, sadly, many companies have yet to fully address hazardous-substance management and global regulatory compliance.

We also know that we have yet to see a major enforcement episode from the European Union. So far, there have been no major, visible enforcement penalties: no big fines or legal complaints, no having companies or their products barred from the marketplace. Will this come? Probably. For now it appears that EU regulators are working quietly behind the scenes to address noncompliance issues. Will China or California or some other non-European country take a more aggressive approach? Will European nations have to become more aggressive in their enforcement or make an example of some company that doesn’t get with the program? Many companies are waiting for a major enforcement action before engaging in the activities needed to manage their hazardous substances to a higher standard than in the past.

Next month, I’ll share with you my predictions for industry for the near future.