Hazardous Substances

LG Electronics has established and implemented strict standards for managing hazardous substances.

Principle behind LG Electronics Hazardous Substance Management

In 2005, LG Electronics declared its intention not to produce products containing any of the six hazardous substances specified by the EU RoHS directive. Since then, it has established strict regulations with regard to the management of hazardous substances and production-regulations adhered to across the board. In addition, by launching the LG Electronics Green Program, the company took on the responsibility of managing its own production systems to ensure that all components, raw materials, packing materials, and batteries in its products do not contain hazardous substances.

Further, LG Electronics recognizes that existing legal requirements are not always enough to protect human health and the environment. Our decision-making approach to the use of certain substances is based on their scientifically proven impact on the environment and human health, and on the technical and economical feasibility of the available alternatives. If the impact on the environment and human health is not scientifically proven, but there is enough doubt regarding possible adverse effects, LG Electronics will follow the Precautionary Principle as referred to in the 1992 Rio Declaration (UN Earth Summit).

Hazardous Substances for Management

The hazardous substances that have been banned from use by law or that LG Electronics has decided to phase out or reduce, due to their risks, are managed separately in the categories A1, A2, and B.

Level A1 comprises six hazardous substances that are specified in the EU's RoHS regulations. This includes heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and its chemical compounds, as well as bromine-based flame retardants such as PBB and PBDE.

Level A2 comprises substances that are either banned by various national or international legislation (other than the RoHS regulations), or substances that LG Electronics has decided to phase out due to the risk it poses to human health and the environment. These substances include chlorine compounds, asbestos, organic tin compounds, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride resin (commonly known as PVC), BFR, nickel, arsenic, phthalate, azo compounds, and other substances that could destroy the ozone such as Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, Pentachlorophenol and Ugilec 121, 141, and DBBT.

Level B includes substances that must be monitored or reduced. They are beryllium, antimony, selenium, palladium, bismuth, and other chlorinated flame retardants, such as VOC.

Thorough Management System for Hazardous Substances

LG Electronics operates a thorough measurement system, whereby the content of hazardous substances is assessed down to the smallest detail. The company's 19 production operations, spread around the world, use X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) equipment in order to examine whether or not any parts or products contain hazardous substances.

Hazardous Substance Analysis Lab

Staff working at the Hazardous Substance Analysis Lab continue to perform detailed analyses to identify and standardize any presence of hazardous substances. Thanks to frequent monitoring during the production process, these experts can swiftly identify products and components likely to contain hazardous substances. In February 2005, the lab was certified as an Official Analysis Center by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an international organization created for product-safety testing and certification, based in the U.S. The Center's supreme capacity to precisely analyze hazardous substances was also acknowledged in May 2006 when it was awarded an official certificate from the Germany TÜV authority.