The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) backed a draft regulation that would make all mobile phone manufacturers switch to a single charger by 2017. The law is being put in place to remove the problem of incompatible chargers and reduce the wastage when incompatible chargers are thrown out when a user gets a new phone.
“This serves the interests both of consumers and the environment. It will put an end to charger clutter and 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually”, said MEP Barbara Weiler.
Mobile phone and chipset manufacturers already agreed to standardize on a single, interchangeable charger type for handsets based on the Micro USB interface back in 2009, but have since failed to follow through on implementation.
If the draft law is now approved by the council of Ministers, who have given informal support, then European nations will have to make it part of national laws by 2016, and manufacturers will then have 12 months to switch to the standard if they have not already.
Source: itp
