22 February 2006 – Bentonville (AR): Wal-Mart has partnered with Toshiba America Information Systems to develop the first Restriction on Hazardous Substance (RoHS) laptop available in the US retail market.
RoHS, which restricts the use of hazardous substances including lead, cadmium and mercury in electrical components, is the environmental directive adopted by the European Parliament, effective 1 July 2006 in European markets.
Although there is no requirement in the United States for manufacturers to achieve the RoHS standard, in 2005 Wal-Mart announced a corporate goal of taking a leadership role in business sustainability, with a focus on climate, waste, and the products it sells. The company says that all personal computers sold at Wal-Mart will meet the RoHS standard by July 2006.
