Since
the European Union announced the RoHS (Restrictions of Hazardous Substances)
Directive in 2003 to limit the use of six hazardous substances (Pb,
Cd, Hg, Cr+6, PBB, and PBDE), the requirement for green products has
evolved from an ideology to regulated necessity in the international
community. Moreover, the requirement for the use of hazardous substances
has been enforced to various stages of different product manufacturing
throughout the supply chain. As such, UMC has gradually implemented
programs such as green manufacturing, green procurement, green supply
chain management and acquiring qualification from third parties to
ensure UMC's products are in conformity with RoHS requirements.
Green
Supply Chain Management
Since
2004, UMC has continually promoted and participated in the "Industrial
Sustainable Development and Promotion Project" led by Taiwan's Industrial
Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs. By helping our suppliers
establish a hazardous substance control mechanism to conform to international
regulations, this project enhances the competitiveness of the entire
green supply chain. Major measures are listed as follows:
1.
Formed a material composition
control list. The list is updated according to international
environmental protection regulations and customers' requirement,
and is deemed as a self-managed standard that conforms to international
trends.
2.
Formed a supplier material composition
warranty that requires material suppliers' products to be free
of hazardous substances, thereby ensuring that UMC's products
conform to international requirements.
3.
Created evaluation forms to
measure each supplier's environmental protection performance.
4.
Strengthened employees' ideology
for managing hazardous substances through education and training.
In June 2006, UMC completed
Hazardous Substance Process Management (HSPM) and has received IECQ-QC080000
qualification, which made UMC the first semiconductor manufacturer
in the world to achieve QC 080000 HSPM for all fabs. The QC 080000
IECQ HSPM standard is based on the "flow orientation" measure
to manage the use of hazardous substances, which covers the stages
from design and development, procurement, and manufacturing to shipment.
The success of this system demonstrates UMC's capability in managing
hazardous substances and ensures UMC provides hazardous substance
free and environmental friendly products that conform to customers'
requirements and international regulations.
