It's really about the future...
Following the creation of the ISO 14000:1996 standard, JARO Components, Inc. implemented a lead-free strategy as part of its overall effort to completely remove hazardous materials from all internal and external manufacturing processes. At that time, the industry was only “talking” about turning over a “lead-free/environmental” leaf. Thankfully, JARO had seen the writing on the wall from the start.

JARO continues to answer these challenges with an annual 'environmental awareness campaign'. Part of this campaign provides counseling services that exceed the requirements, in advance of their proposed starting deadlines, for existing customers and manufacturers. Over sixty customers and raw material suppliers were in attendance at last year’s annual environmental awareness conference, at the Boca Raton Country Club. Early on, JARO became the leader in environmental preservation by measuring the adherence of business partners to the ISO 14000 & 19000 environmental standards.

This involved surveying our entire inter-relational business system (suppliers, customers, representatives, and core, raw-materials manufacturers). This immediately allowed our “green-friendly/insistent” customers to make more informed business decisions right away. This was one of the industry’s first formal declarations of environmental commitment and included a comprehensive action plan towards the well being of people, environments and commercial firms.

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Lead is a low-cost, conductive material that is widely used in the electronics industry. JARO has been working the ”lead-free” issue for years. In many cases, JARO has utilized replacement materials such as tin to obviate the need for lead. JARO has taken significant steps towards the removal of lead in the terminal plating and solder of our components. Recently, we conducted a world-wide lead-free awareness conference to help our customers reach their lead-free objectives in a timely manor. JARO is now capable of providing the majority of its components in lead-free conditions. Four years ago, JARO won EEPN’s coveted “Product of the Year Award” for its lead-free resistors. At this time, JARO’s resistors were already being produced with 100% lead-free materials in the plating and solder on terminal surfaces.

To continue reducing lead used for solder, electrode materials, and in stabilizers. We currently provide substitutes for over 92% of our products that still utilize lead connecting solder (which has a lead content of less than 85%). To continue researching the substitution for lead contained in ceramic and some glass materials...and to keep researching alloys that utilize lead-free materials, even if the present EU RoHS directive of February 2003 exempts the lead used in these parts, as it is technically difficult to substitute other materials for the lead used in such parts. To continue to become as green as is economically feasible, realizing that any expenditures incurred by JARO now will undoubtedly pay off in the future.