It will soon be the end of the multitude of chargers cluttering your drawers.
The European Union has just decided to put an end to the proliferation of plugs that allow you to recharge electronic devices.
By 2024, they must be sold with a USB-C socket on European territory.
“Today we have made the single charger a reality in Europe,” said MEP Alex Agius Saliba.
“These new regulations will save 1,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year,” explains Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market.
And thus participate in an annual reduction of 200 kg of C02, which corresponds to 10 million smartphones, and 2,600 tonnes of raw materials.
And we know more than ever how rare they are at the moment, ”adds the former French Minister of the Economy.
Read alsoUniversal smartphone charger: what should change
This European project was launched in 2009, but it came up against resistance from the electronics industries.
The European announcement greatly displeased Apple.
The hi-tech giant has claimed that its Lightning plug powers more than a billion devices worldwide.
He felt that the European text “will stifle innovation” and, with this choice of “obsolete” standard, will cut the EU off from the rest of the world.
"Let's say it clearly: if Apple wants to market its products in Europe, we will have to respect our rules," replied Thierry Breton.
You have to think about the environment.
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