Environmental and resource management at all company levels is of paramount importance to the Klauke Group. We believe that improving to become more and more innovative is an opportunity. And we take on this responsibility – for the benefit of our customers, our employees and our children.

Product-based environmental protection

Avoiding harmful substances

1. What is the RoHS?

The RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances) is an EU directive that is transposed into national law (e.g. the ElektroG in Germany). It aims to regulate the restriction on the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. In doing so, it makes a contribution to the protection of health and the environmentally sound recycling and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment. In particular, the following substances may no longer be contained in electrical and electronic equipment since 01/07/2006:

• hexavalent chromium/Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) [more than 0.01 percent by weight]
• Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates (DEHP) [more than 0.01 percent by weight]
• Lead/Lead (Pb) [more than 0.01 percent by weight]
• Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]
• Cadmium (Cd) [more than 0.01 percent by weight]
• Dibutyl phthalates (DBP) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]
• Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]
• polybromized biphenyl/Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]
• Mercury/Mercury(Hg) [more than 0.1 percent by weight]

What is WEEE?

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is an EU Directive that has passed into national legislation. The Directive seeks primarily to avoid waste electrical and electronic equipment. It also promotes the reuse, recycling and other forms of utilising such equipment in order to reduce the amount of waste for disposal. It also seeks to improve the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment, e.g. manufacturers, distributors, consumers and in particular those who handle used electrical and electronic equipment directly. The WEEE Directive describes the equipment categories and types affected by the restrictions of the RoHS in Appendix I.

Which equipment categories are governed by the RoHS and the WEEE?

• Large domestic appliances (Cat. 1), small domestic appliances (Cat. 2)
• IT and telecommunication equipment (Cat. 3)
• Home electronic equipment (Cat. 4)
• Light fittings (Cat. 5)
• Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of stationary, large-scale industrial tools/machines) (Cat. 6)
• Toys, sport and leisure equipment (Cat. 7)
• Medical equipment (with the exception of all implanted and infected products) * (Cat. 8)
• Monitoring and control instruments (Cat. 9)
• Automatic output devices (Cat. 10)

* RoHS does not apply to these equipment categories.

• It also applies for electrical bulbs and lights in the home.
• The Directive concerns only the equipment listed in the respective categories and the components included therein.

4. What Klauke and Greenlee products does the WEEE apply to?

To all products that fall into one of the following areas:

• electro-hydraulic crimping, cutting and punching tools of the Klauke brand,
• electrical testing equipment and
• electro-mechanical tools

5. What Klauke and Greenlee products does the RoHS apply to?

To all products that fall into one of the following areas:

• electro-hydraulic crimping, cutting and punching tools of the Klauke brand,
• electrical testing equipment and
• electro-mechanical tools other than category 9 devices.

6. Does the RoHS also apply to connection material?

What is the Electrical Equipment Act?

The Electrical Equipment Act is the national implementation of the WEEE & RoHS Directive. The Electrical Equipment Act also concerns further specific regulations for Germany as a region. The ElektroG came into effect in March 2005.The collection of WEEE products started on 24th March 2006 in Germany.

8. Are RoHS compliant products marked?

9. How are WEEE-affected products marked?

All WEEE-affected products of Klauke and Greenlee are marked with a crossed-out rubbish bin on wheels (WEEE Appendix IV or DIN EN 50419). This should be an outward sign that this product should be recycled and not be disposed of with general waste. The Klauke tools have a date code consisting of 2 letters on the hydraulic cylinders or on the Klauke minis underneath the battery. The relevant key can be found here: Date code(pdf). Greenlee uses the waste bin with the underscore b), which states that the device was put on the market after 13.08.2005.

By law, our area of responsibility is currently only in Germany and France. If you purchase the products directly from us, with the intention of reselling them and you are not based in Germany or France, you as an importer under the WEEE guideline, are required to register in your country (in the EU!). This also applies in France if you do not purchase your products from one of our French agents.

11. When will the Klauke and Greenlee products be RoHS compliant?

The Klauke and Greenlee products fall into 3 of the 10 categories set by the WEEE Directive. Category 3 IT and Telecommunication Equipment, Category 6 Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Category 9 Monitoring and Control Instruments. Category 3 and 6 products comply  with the Directive before July 2006. All Klauke Category 6 products comply with the RoHS Directive since the end of 2005. Category 9 products are currently still excluded.

12. What happens to my stock of non-RoHS compliant products after July 2006?

As long as the products were placed on the EU market before July 2006, you can still sell them.