Brussels, Sep 23 (EFE).- The European Commission on Thursday proposed a universal charging solution for electronic devices including iPhones, this move aims to reduce waste and the environmental footprint associated with the disposal of chargers when changing devices. Some 420 million portable electronic devices were sold in the EU in the last year, according to the Commission.
Disposed of and unused chargers account for an estimate of 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, it added. A common charging solution could reduce this amount by almost a thousand tonnes annually, also, the new requirements proposed by the EC is for all electronic devices to have USB-C chargers and harmonize fast charging technology. The proposal also suggests consumers have the option to buy a device with or without a new charger.
Brussels has been pushing for the measure since 2009 when an agreement with the main mobile manufacturers was reached to reduce the number of chargers on the market from 30 to 3: USB 2.0 Micro B, USB-C and Lightning, exclusive to Apple.
Even though the Commission says the move would enable further innovation in technology, some firms fear it could have harmful effects on the industry.
Text and images courtesy of EFE
