Milestones for Product Material Restriction and Related Events

ASUS developed the first lead-free and halogen-free motherboard in Taiwan.
This is a project sponsored by the Taiwanese government, from 2002 to 2004. Through in-depth study and experiments, technical specifications for green material selection and green product design rules were developed. ASUS then used the technical specifications for specific green material selection and for green design to create the motherboard. To support this invention process, ASUS developed its infrastructure for its green supply chain management in place ¡V which now supports all ongoing GreenASUS efforts.

Milestones in Green ASUS's policies and practices

ASUS has established the first Green Product Management System (GPMS) in Taiwan
The Green Product Management System (GPMS) helps our R&D staff determine if vendors in our supply chain are using specific hazardous substances. The system provides e-Green platform for supplier to upload the Green component approval document like: Certificate, component composition table, Green component survey file and 3rd party test report. This system will send the reminding mail of action items to vender and ASUS employees automatically while the approval progress be pending or delay. The e-system helps and accelerates ASUS and our supply chain vendors select green components in a systematic and efficient way.

ASUS has established the first Green Design System for WEEE in Taiwan

A. Green e-Material System
This is the first e-Material system in Taiwan that serves as database on the raw materials used in mechanical parts. The system assists R&D staff to choice approved material while they make template design. Meanwhile, the e-Material system also precedes approving processes and stores relevant approving information to build up raw material database.

B. Green Design System for WEEE
In order to meet the requirement of WEEE directive, ASUS has established the first Green Design System for WEEE in Taiwan. The system is focused on the Virtual Product Simulation (VPS) to help R&D estimate the product reuse/recycle rate and recovery rate (3R) defined by WEEE Directive when they finish Pro-E. According to the ASUS¡¦s recycling principle, the system calculates product 3R rate based on each material density and its dimensions and output the product 3R report automatically. Furthermore, R&D staff can simulates disassembly process through VPS and the system will record each process step-by-step and output disassembly report.

ASUS has established free-of-charge takeback and recycling programmes in the US
ASUS was the first Taiwanese company to provide free take back services for notebooks in all fifty states. Our consumer can register via the Internet (GreenASUS website) to send their computers to our cooperated recycling facility, free of charge. ASUS works with local advisers and ensures adherence to its end-of-life management policy through audits of its recyclers on a regular time schedule..

"End of Life Green Design and Take Back Management System" project¡¨ (G Project)
The "End of Life Green Design and Take Back Management System" project (called the 'G project') is sponsored by the Taiwan government, and runs from Year 2005 to Year 2007. In this project, ASUS developed its end-of-life green design standard, accompanying procedures, and the necessary IT platform to integrate GreenASUS's policies and procedures with the rest of the company's information management systems. Meanwhile, the takeback and EOL vendor management systems in both Europe and USA have been established, in conformance with local laws. Furthermore, ASUS adopts life cycle thinking and conducts product life cycle assessment (LCA) survey through this project.

RoHS Laboratory and Test Method

ASUS has established laboratories that test for hazardous substances and is addressing challenges in the measurement of hazardous substances through two separate resources:

n        ASUS uses an X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF) for speedy screening for RoHS-Controlled hazardous substances, especially Cr⁶⁺, PBBs, and PBDE.

ASUS has strong internal quality control (IQC) procedures. The GreenASUS document contains the high-risk parts¡¦ list of Br (Bromine) and is used to pre-screen for XRF testing. In addition, ASUS has set up a RoHS laboratory in China SZ/ASH and Taiwan TY factory to conduct confirming tests for Cr⁶⁺, PBBs, and PBDE, using UV and GC-MS instruments. Meanwhile, if necessary, these laboratories can also use ICP instruments to test for the presence of Pb, Cd, and Hg.

n        ASUS requires proper testing methods for electrical and electronic (EE) components, especially for ICs, chipsets, and metal parts with plating.

ASUS provides its vendors with GA documents that describe (1) standard mixed testing methods for ICs and chipsets and (2) the formal testing method and criteria based on the IEC 62321 standard for metal parts with plating. ASUS also reviews the third-party testing reports on ICs and chipset parts that we receive from our vendors. Compliance is assured to some degree as our suppliers of these EE parts are almost all international and well-known companies.