Environmental protection

E-T-A’s environmental management system is certified according to ISO 14001. This includes all areas in the German locations Altdorf and Hohenfels.

Our goal is to live and claim sustainability. The product’s entire live cycle is to be designed as environmentally sustainable as possible.

  • Environmental Management

    Environmental management

    ISO 14001 and 50001 certificate

    E-T-A is certified according to ISO 14001 for their environmental management system, and according to ISO 50001 for their energy management system. This includes all areas in the German locations Altdorf and Hohenfels.

    Our goal is to live and claim sustainability. The product’s entire live cycle is to be designed as environmentally sustainable as possible.

    Energy and environmental policy:

    One central task of the company’s activities is to extend environmental protection in all processes and methods and to constantly optimise environmental protection in the company. E-T-A is traditionally committed to protecting and preserving an environment worth living in. We assume social responsibility by developing step by step towards becoming a CO2-neutral company. In order to decrease the inevitable environmental impacts, we want to further minimise energy and resource consumption with all its consequences. 

    It is our declared goal to implement the improvement of energy efficiency, reduction of energy consumption, CO2 neutrality and climate and environmental protection in our actions and beyond.

    The following action plan helps us achieve our goal:

    • In our daily work, we act prudently and with foresight regarding environment and energy.
    • We are implementing the specifications of our energy and environmental policy in an integral management system in a targeted and structured manner.
    • We minimise the energy and resource consumption with all its consequences and thus decrease the inevitable environmental impacts.
    • We ensure a trouble-free and systematic procedure of all technical and organisational processes through continuous checks and improvements.
    • We avoid accidents that lead to environmental damage or keep their impacts as low as possible.
    • We take responsibility for meeting all energy and environmental relevant laws, regulations and requirements.
    • We live and promote environmental protection and resource-conserving use of energy with our partners and suppliers and take this into account in our purchasing processes.
    • We maintain a fair and cooperative relationship with the responsible authorities.

    In the context of legislative specifications and the reliable co-operation with our customers, E-T-A proclaims the adherence to all environmental relevant laws, regulations and requirements.

    Our employees also consider environmental protection as an important part of their tasks and ensure that environmental protection is lived and promoted on all levels at E-T-A by acting prudently and responsibly.

  • RoHS and Lead Free

    RoHS and lead-free

    The European 2011/65/EU (formerly 2002/95/EC) directive concerns the restriction of the use of hazardous substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment and became effective on 1 July 2006.

    On 4 June 2015, this was supplemented in the official journal of the European Union by the 2015/863/EU (RoHS 3) delegated directive through an amendment to Annex II of the 2011/65/EU (RoHS II) directive.

    The following substances are affected by the pollutants directive:

    • Lead (Pb) (0.1%)
    • Mercury (Hg) (0.1%)
    • Cadmium (Cd) (0.01%)
    • Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI) (0.1%)
    • Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) (0.1%)
    • Polybrominated Diphenylether (PBDE) (0.1%)
    • Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) (0.1%)
    • Butylbenzylphthalate (BBP) (0.1%)
    • Dibutylphthalate (DBP) (0.1%)
    • Diisobutylphthalate (DIBP) (0.1%)

    All E-T-A products - either circuit breakers or electronic devices - comply with the 2011/65/EU (RoHS II) and 2015/863/EU (RoHS 3) directives, as the limit values for these substances are not exceeded.

    The pollutant lead is only contained in our products within the limit values, as specified in annex III no. 6 and no. 7 of the RoHS directive. Cadmium is only contained in a few devices. It is authorised in electrical contacts according to annex III, no. 8 b.

    Furthermore, all E-T-A devices meet the DecaBDE-free requirement valid since 1st July 2008.

    Do not hesitate to contact us, if you need more information.

  • REACH Regulation

    REACH regulation

    The REACH regulation aims to better protect people, animals and the environment against hazardous chemicals. Every company that in any form places more than one tonne of a chemical per year on the European market falls under this REACH regulation.

    However, E-T-A only produces non-chemical products. We are in close contact with our suppliers and can confirm, that the few process chemicals required for producing E-T-A products are either not affected by the REACH regulation or are already registered by the chemical supplier.

    According to our knowledge, our products do not contain substances above the limit values listed on the current ECHA “List of candidates“.

    E-T-A products are neither chemical substances nor mixtures of substances, but products. Therefore, registration, evaluation or authorisation according to the 1907/2006 REACH regulation as well as the preparation of a safety data sheet according to article 31 and annex II or according to amendment 2015/830 is not required.

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  • WEEE Directive

    WEEE directive

    This declaration concerns the applicability of the 2012/19/EU directive of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE directive - Waste on Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and the applicability of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act - ElektroG2 act on the reorganisation of the law on the putting on the market, recovery, and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (ElektroG, Electrical Equipment Act) of 20 October 2015 (BGBl. I S. 1739), as last amended by article 16 of the act of 27 June 2017 (BGBl. I S. 1966).

    The products of E-T-A Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH currently do not fall within the scope of the directive or the ElektroG2.

    Reason:

    All E-T-A products, when used as intended, fall under the following exemptions according to § 2 section (2) of the ElektroG2:

    • Devices that
      • (a) are incorporated as part of another device which is excluded from, or does not fall within, the scope of this act; and
      • (b) can perform their function only specifically as part of that other device,
    • large stationary industrial tools,
    • large fixed plants; however, this act applies to equipment which is not specifically designed and installed as part of such plants,
    • means of transport for the carriage of passengers or goods; however, this act applies to electric two-wheeled vehicles for which type-approval is not required,
    • mobile machinery.