Substance management

It’s vital to our sustainability program that we know – and control – the substances used in our products. Therefore, we maintain a Regulated Substance List including substances that are banned or legally-required to be monitored (e.g. RoHS, REACH etc.) or that we monitor from a precautionary point of view. The Regulated Substances List (RSL) is included in our Terms of Reference for suppliers and part of our robust substance compliance program. All suppliers are required to comply with the RSL and with all local and global regulations.

The RSL is updated regularly and is nearly identical to the industry standard which is managed by the BOMcheck tool, a platform that standardizes the way companies collect chemical composition information from their suppliers. Our suppliers are required to provide compliance declarations to the RSL via the BOMcheck tool. The RSL contains a number of substances that we aim to phase out from a precautionary point of view, despite the fact that there is no regulation yet requiring us to do so. Below are some examples of substances we are voluntarily phasing out.

Polyvinyl Chloride and Brominated Flame Retardants

The electronics industry heavily relies on the use of plastics that contain PVC or BFR and sometimes their use is mandated in technical, safety or regulatory standards – for example, for reducing the flammability of consumer products. However, where possible, we have been pursuing a phase-out policy since 2010 to find technically and economically-feasible alternatives for consumer products.

Phthalates and antimony

As part of the PVC/BFR policy, we are also phasing out the use of phthalates (softeners) and antimony compounds for plastics in consumer products. Phthalates are found in flexible PVC and antimony trioxide is used as a synergist of brominated flame retardants.

Arsenic and antimony in glass

Signify has restricted the use of arsenic and antimony in lamp glass since 2008 because alternatives are available in many regions.