IEC_Guide_109-2003.pdf

INTERNATIONALSTANDARDGUIDE109Second edition2003-06Environmental aspects Inclusion in electrotechnicalproduct standardsAspects lis lenvironnement Prise en compte dans les normeslectrotechniques de produitsReference numberIEC GUIDE 109:2003(E)LICENSED TO MECON Limited.-RANCHI/BANGALOREFOR INTERNAL USE AT THIS LOCATION ONLY,SUPPLIED BY BOOK SUPPLY BUREAU.LICENSED TO MECON Limited.-RANCHI/BANGALOREFOR INTERNAL USE AT THIS LOCATION ONLY,SUPPLIED BY BOOK SUPPLY BUREAU.INTERNATIONALSTANDARDGUIDE109Second edition2003-06Environmental aspects Inclusion in electrotechnicalproduct standardsAspects lis lenvironnement Prise en compte dans les normeslectrotechniques de produits IEC 2003 Copyright-all rights reservedNo part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,electronic ormechanical,including photocopying and microfilm,without permission in writing from the publisher.International Electrotechnical Commission,3,rue de Varemb,PO Box 131,CH-1211 Geneva 20,SwitzerlandTelephone:+41 22 919 02 11 Telefax:+41 22 919 03 00 E-mail:inmailiec.ch Web:www.iec.chMFor price,see current cataloguePRICE CODECommission Electrotechnique InternationaleInternational Electrotechnical Commission LICENSED TO MECON Limited.-RANCHI/BANGALOREFOR INTERNAL USE AT THIS LOCATION ONLY,SUPPLIED BY BOOK SUPPLY BUREAU.2 GUIDE 109 IEC:2003(E)INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION_ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS INCLUSION IN ELECTROTECHNICAL PRODUCT STANDARDSFOREWORDThis second edition of IEC Guide 109 has been prepared,in accordance with the proceduregiven in Annex A of Part 1 of the ISO/IEC directives,by the IEC Advisory Committee onEnvironmental Aspects(ACEA).The text of this Guide is based on the following documents:Approval documentReport on votingC/1289/DVC/1304A/RVFull information on the voting for the approval of this Guide can be found in the report onvoting indicated in the above table.IEC Environmental Policy“IEC recognizes the growing importance of preserving the environment and the roleelectrotechnical standardization has to play to foster sustainable development.Therefore itis the responsibility of IEC staff and technical committees,members and experts,tocontribute actively to the evolving standards framework for the benefit of the environment.For this purpose,the IEC cooperates with ISO and regional standards developmentorganizations such as CENELEC.With respect to product-related standards,IEC technicalcommittees must assess and continuously improve new and existing standards in view ofreducing adverse environmental impacts over the whole life cycle of products.The IEC willmonitor and annually report progress according to this policy.”The IEC Environmental Policy has been approved by the IEC Council Board.IEC Guide 109helps to fulfil this policy by illustrating how environmental aspects can be included inelectrotechnical product standards.LICENSED TO MECON Limited.-RANCHI/BANGALOREFOR INTERNAL USE AT THIS LOCATION ONLY,SUPPLIED BY BOOK SUPPLY BUREAU.GUIDE 109 IEC:2003(E)3 INTRODUCTIONThis Guide aims to give advice to standards writers on the way the environment should beconsidered among all the aspects relevant to standards.Finding an appropriate solution for the product is the task of product designers;this solutionwill be a trade-off along various dimensions(safety,environment,cost,technology,functionand so on).This Guide is intended for standards writers,not for product designers;it aims atencouraging standards which preserve the natural environment while allowing designers toreach the best practical compromise among the constraints.The need to reduce the adverse impacts on the natural environment of a product*during allphases of its life from acquiring materials to manufacturing,distribution,use,and end-of-lifetreatment(i.e.re-use,recycling(recovery and disposal)is recognized in most countriesaround the world.The choices made at the design stage largely determine what those impactswill be during each phase of the life of that product.There are,however,considerableobstacles that make the task of selecting the best environmental options very complex.Forexample,selecting design options to reduce adverse environmental impacts can involvedifficult trade-offs such as less recyclability for more energy efficiency.Requirements for products may influence significantly the extent of environmental effects.Standards should promote the selection of design options in order to reduce adverse impacts.Furthermore,standards must not prohibit innovation in any sense.Standards writers shouldencourage the protection of the environment,for instance,by specifying requirements whichdo not rule out the appropriate use of recycled material and the re-use of components,subsystems and systems.The continual introduction of new products and materials can make evaluation increasinglycomplex,since additional data must be gathered to assess the life-cycle impacts of such newproducts and materials.Moreover,there is currently very little dat