The ELV (end of life vehicle) directive is similar to the RoHS and WEEE compliance schemes, in that it was an EU directive designed to restrict the amount of hazardous materials reaching the environment. This was achieved in two ways: by restricting the substances used in the manufacture of new vehicles and their components, and by environmentally aware recycling methods.
Unlike RoHS, WEEE and REACH, the ELV directive is specific to automotive engineering. However, with ASIC and VLSI designs being integral to modern automotive engineering, it has an impact on many electronic and component engineering firms, both in the EU and globally. Like the REACH directive, ELV compliance has been adopted across the world, with most countries on the global manufacturing platform having their own versions in place.
The GADSL (Global Automotive Declarable Substance List) is intrinsically linked to both the ELV directive and the IMDS (International Material Data System), which was established in response to the directives being put in place. The IMDS was established by OEMs in order to establish a global tracking and logging system for materials being used in automotive parts and accessories. It requires that all parts and components used in automotive assemblies and sub-assemblies list the chemicals used in their manufacture. The lynch pin of this is the GADSL, which is a list of all prohibited and declarable substances used in automotive applications, together with threshold limits.
If you engineer mechanical or electronic components for the automotive industry, these rules affect you. We at Enventure Technologies offer environmental compliance solutions for all engineering sectors, with particular expertise in the area of GADSL and ELV compliance.
