Company

At Garmin, we understand our responsibility to be environmentally conscious with the materials we use for our products. Therefore, we have placed appropriate checks in our production and material supply to ensure the reduction of hazardous materials in our products and compliance to appropriate environmental standards. These checks include the following:

  • Analysis of each stage of our operation to identify concerns, such as materials that could have a potentially harmful effect on people and the environment.
  • Adoption of appropriate controls and safeguards, including the elimination of hazardous materials from our products.
  • Document and review all actions taken.
  • Take initiatives to improve current environmental practices, including using innovative and recycled materials to reduce product environmental impacts and to facilitate recycling.

The European Union RoHS Directive and Garmin’s response

The above system of checks is an instrumental part of Garmin’s adherence to the RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) Directive. This directive bans new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than permissible levels of hazardous substances on the European Union market after July 1, 2006. Those substances include lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.

Garmin has expended considerable efforts and resources to ensure compliance with the RoHS Directive. We work with industry partners, including the GPS Industry Council, the National Electronic Distributors Association and the American Electronics Association to restrict the use of certain materials in our products. The development of part specifications, testing standards, material declaration protocols and other activities has helped this effort.

The European Union REACH Position at Garmin

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is a European Union (EU) chemical regulation that became effective on June 1, 2007. Garmin supports the objective of REACH of improving the protection of human health and the environment through the early and improved identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances.

Garmin is a manufacturer of “articles” according to the definitions contained in the REACH regulation. This article manufacturing is external to the European Union and Garmin does not use or purchase substances for use within the European Union in quantities large enough to be subject to the obligations under Article 6 (general obligations to register substances of their own or in preparations) of the REACH regulation. Garmin does not manufacture any articles in which a substance is intended to be released under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. Some vehicle power cables (cigarette lighter adaptor) and AC power adaptor/chargers supplied as accessories to Garmin devices may contain Bis (2-ethyl(hexyl)phthalate) [DEHP] at concentrations above 0.1% weight/weight in the cable insulation. Garmin is working with our suppliers to identify alternatives to DEHP.

We will be communicating further with our suppliers and customers to continue to gather information to ensure our continued compliance with the REACH regulation. As such, Garmin reserves the right to make changes to our products and this information as additional information becomes available.