Why Cadmium-Free Matters
Last week, the debate around cadmium – a highly toxic and carcinogenic by – product of zinc and copper production— and its use in televisions and lighting began again. Back in 2011 a European Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances ruled that the use of cadmium in TVs and lighting would not be permitted after 1 July 2014. In January 2015, the European Commission proposed an act to extend that deadline until June 2018. If this passes cadmium, and all of its toxic effects, would come flooding back into the European market for an additional three years.
This is an unacceptable step backwards, especially when you consider that cadmium-free technology is readily available and has developed far faster than the cadmium industry’s forecast. A the heart of this debate is one question: Should new LCD televisions using cadmium-based quantum dot (QD) technology be allowed into the European market? We believe there’s only one answer: The European Parliament must bar toxic cadmium from re-entering Europe.
In response , our CEO Michael Edelman has penned an op-ed outlining the realities of the situation and the promise and safety of a cadmium-free alternative. See the full post here: Parliament must bar toxic cadmium from Europe
