IBM has a long history of continually taking proactive steps to evaluate the chemicals used in its processes and products; identifying potential substitutes that may have less impact on the environment, health and safety; and eliminating, restricting and/or prohibiting the use of substances for which a more preferable alternative is available that is capable of meeting quality and safety requirements of its processes and products. The table below provides a summary of IBM's record over more than two decades.
The company has also been actively involved in qualifying alternative materials that may have less impact on the environment, health and safety.
| Substance | Year | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | 1978 | Prohibited from use in products (Initiated phased approach for elimination in 1974. Achieved by year-end 1978.) |
| Trichloroethene | Late 1980s | Eliminated from use in development and manufacturing processes |
| Ozone depleting chemicals | 1990 | Prohibited as expansion agents used in packaging |
| Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) | 1990 | Prohibited from use in packaging |
| Heavy metals, including lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium and mercury | 1990 | Prohibited from use in packaging |
| Class I ozone depleting chemicals | 1993 | Eliminated from use in development and manufacturing processes, and prohibited from use in products |
| Asbestos | 1993 | Prohibited from use in products |
| Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) | 1993 | Prohibited from use in products |
| Lead (Pb) | 1993 | Prohibited from use in plastic housings and paints |
| Hexavalent chromium | 1993 | Prohibited in inks, dyes, pigments and paints used for IBM products |
| Mercury | 1993 | Prohibited from use in IBM parts or assemblies. Specific exemptions (e.g., lamps) were added in 1999. |
| Cadmium | 1993 | Prohibited from use in inks, dyes, pigments and paints |
| Cadmium | 1994 | Prohibited from use in plastics and plating |
| Class II ozone depleting chemicals | 1995 | Eliminated from use in development and manufacturing processes, and prohibited from use in products |
| Ethylene-based glycol ethers | Mid-1990s | Eliminated from use in development and manufacturing processes |
| Polyvinyl chloride | Mid-1990s | Prohibited from use in packaging |
| Cadmium | Mid-1990s | Prohibited from use:
|
| Lead (Pb) | 1999 | Prohibited from use in plastic resins |
| Tetrachloroethene | 2002 | Eliminated 99.5% of the use in development and manufacturing processes. Prohibited from new applications. |
| Hexavalent chromium | 2002 | Prohibited from plastic resins |
| Dichloromethane | 2003 | Eliminated from use in development and manufacturing processes |
| Polyvinyl chloride | 2007 | Prohibited from system enclosure parts in new products after 2007 |
| Tetrabromobisphenol A | 2007 | Prohibited as an additive flame retardant in system enclosure parts for new products after 2007 |
| Specific perfluorinated compounds (PFOS and PFOA) | 2007 | Prohibited from new IBM manufacturing, development and research processes; prohibited from any known application in existing processes after December 31, 2009 |