Zebra changes its stripes in time for RoHS deadline
Posted: 27-07-2006 , 11:31 GMT
Zebra Technologies has announced that all its printers are compliant with the European Union’s RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive which came into force in the EU on July 1. As part of Zebra’s global environmental strategy, all printers sold around the world, will be made of components that meet the EU Directive by the end of 2006. The RoHS directive bans all new electrical equipment containing more than the agreed levels of potentially poisonous metals from the EU market, including lead, mercury and cadmium. Failure to use RoHS compliant equipment can result in hefty fines, or even prison. Zebra made a seven figure sum investment in order to ensure a smooth change over between old style printers and new, compliant ones. The printers span Zebra’s entire range, from high performance industrial label printers to compact and lightweight portable printers and on-demand plastic card printers. “Complying with an EU Directive like this can be complicated and expensive, so it was essential that we got it right first time,” said Paul Garner, Zebra Technology’s Dubai based Regional Sales Manager for the Middle East, India and South Africa. “However, it’s important for companies to be aware that non-compliant stock may currently be being dumped or sold cheaply all over Europe at the moment, and resellers in particular must ensure their suppliers are providing them with equipment that meets EU standards.” In addition to reducing or eliminating the use of hazardous substances, Zebra’s environmental policy includes conserving resources, reducing energy consumption, and designing for recycling. As part of its wider environmental strategy, Zebra printers are also compliant with the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
About Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: ZBRA) delivers innovative and reliable on-demand printing solutions for business improvement and security applications in 100 countries around the world. More than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Zebra-brand printers. A broad range of applications benefit from Zebra-brand thermal bar code, ‘smart’ label, receipt, and card printers, resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs, and better customer service.
The company has sold more than five million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, and also offers software, connectivity solutions and printing supplies. Information about Zebra bar code and RFID products can be found at http://www.zebra.com
Zebra Technologies Europe Ltd, headquartered in the United Kingdom, provides product and speciality label sales and support, including oversight of offices in Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
