Legislation to establish a common charging solution for all relevant electronic devices proposed today by the European Commission. This is an important step for reducing electrical and electronic equipment waste, as well as the inconvenience caused to consumers by the existence of different, incompatible chargers for electronic devices.
Multi-year cooperation with industry as part of a voluntary approach has reduced the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to three over the last decade, but has so far failed to fully address the problem.
What is included in the proposal for the common charger
With today’s proposal for a revision of the Radio Equipment Directive, The charging port and fast charging technology of the devices will be harmonized: USB-C will become the standard common port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles. This way, consumers will be able to charge their devices with the same USB-C charger, regardless of the brand of the device.
Furthermore, the Commission proposes to separate the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices. Consumers will be able to buy a new electronic device without a new charger. This will reduce the number of unnecessary chargers purchased or left unused, according to the Athens News Agency.
The above measures are expected to offer convenience to consumers and reduce the environmental footprint associated with the production and disposal of chargers, thus supporting the green and digital transition. Reducing the production and disposal of new chargers is estimated to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment by almost a thousand tons per year.
Shared charger: The proposal and the next steps
The proposal for a revision of the Radio Equipment Directive should be approved by the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (codecision). A transitional period of 24 months from the date of enactment of the Directive will give the industry sufficient time to adjust before its entry into force.
To be common charger, full interoperability is required on both sides of the cable: the electronic device and the external power supply. Interoperability on the device side, which is by far the biggest challenge, will be achieved with today’s proposal. The interoperability of the external power supply will be regulated by a revision of the Commission regulation on ecodesign. This review will be launched within the current year, so that its entry into force is in line with that of the current proposal.
In 2020, around 420 million mobile phones and other mobile devices were sold in the EU market. On average, consumers own about three mobile phone chargers, two of which they use on a regular basis. Despite this, 38% of consumers report having problems at least once, unable to charge their mobile phone because the chargers they had at their disposal were incompatible. This situation is not only annoying, but also costly for consumers, who spend around € 2.4 billion a year on stand-alone chargers that are not sold together with an electronic device. In addition, discarded and unused chargers are estimated to be up to 11,000 tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment waste per year.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
