Forget about rummaging through the trash can. Soon, Europeans will only need to get a cable to charge their smartphones and other devices.
European Union officials said they had signed an interim agreement on Tuesday that would require a uniform charging cable on the 27-nation bloc. It is part of a broader effort to make products sold in the EU more sustainable and to reduce e-waste.
The new rules, which will come into force in the autumn of 2024, mean that EU consumers will only need to use a common Type C USB cable for small and medium-sized rechargeable portable electronic devices.
“European consumers were frustrated with multiple chargers piled up at home,” Alex Agius Saliba, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator, told a media conference in Brussels. “Now, they will be able to go with a single charger for all portable electronic devices, which is an important step to increase consumer convenience.”
Covered devices include mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras, headphones and earphones, handheld video game consoles, keyboards and mice, portable speakers, and navigation devices.
Laptops are also covered, but manufacturers will have extra time to comply with them.
Apple is one of the main resistances
The rules apply only to devices sold in the European single market, which consists of 30 countries. However, like the EU’s strict privacy regulations, they could end up becoming a de facto standard for the rest of the world.
Although many electronics manufacturers have begun to adopt USB-C plugs in their devices, Apple has been one of the main resisted.
Apple, which did not respond to a request for comment, has previously said it is concerned that the rules limit innovation and harm consumers.
The company’s iPhones have their own Lightning charging port, although newer models include cables that can be connected to a USB-C socket.
EU rules also set standards for fast charging technology and give consumers the right to choose whether to buy new devices with or without a charger, which the EU estimates will save them € 250 million (€ 336 million). dollars) per year.
Electronic waste reduction
Reducing e-waste is another goal. The EU estimates that disposed or unused chargers account for 11,000 metric tons of e-waste in Europe each year.
Saliba said that according to an impact assessment by the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, “one in three chargers included with these products never opens from their original packaging.”
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Experts say reducing the environmental impact of technology would also benefit consumers’ portfolios, and solutions involve making devices last longer, making it easier to repair or upgrade as well.
To keep pace with the latest advances, there are also provisions for developing standards lower on the wireless charging line, which he said is seen as the next leap forward for charging technology.
The EU spent more than a decade trying to persuade the electronics industry to adopt a common charging standard, an effort that reduced the various charging plugs to a handful until the commission forced the issue with a bill in September. past.
The European Parliament and the European Council are expected to give their formal approval to the agreement after the summer holidays.