EU Mulling Strict Norms to Standardize Smartphone Chargers to Reduce e-Waste
Aug. 8, 2018The European Union is now planning to crack the whip after tech companies have failed to introduce common mobile phone chargers to cut down on electronic waste, the media reported.
The idea behind the undertaking, signed back in 2009, was generalizing the charging ports so that users could use the same physical connectors and power inputs, preventing them from having to change their chargers while switching from one brand to another, reducing costs and environmental damage from old, un-used chargers.
“Given the unsatisfactory progress with this voluntary approach, the Commission will shortly launch an impact assessment study to evaluate costs and benefits of different other options”, EU Competition Chief, Margrethe Vestager said regarding the need for tougher regulations.
At this point, where the EU is planning to take strict steps towards the enforcement of this undertaking, only Apple seems to be the one that would be singled out because a majority of the other companies are voluntarily adopting the USB-C chargers and ports.
However, that did not materialize and, what’s more, a new standard in the form of USB-Type C was introduced. It now remains to be seen how EU regulators pressurize smartphone manufacturers to standardize smartphone chargers and achieve the objective of reducing e-waste.
With inputs from IANS
