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Common Charger Incoming! Maltese MEP’s Successful Negotiation Will Spare The Earth From 11,000 Tonnes of Environmental Waste

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A foreseeable end to the piling up of chargers in households – if not tonnes of environmental waste – is now in sight as the deal for the common charger has now been penned.

Legislators on the European front have now agreed on a breakthrough law that will make the USB Type-C a universal charger for small and medium-sized devices by 2024.

MEP Alex Agius Saliba brokered the deal, one that will greatly increase consumer convenience while reducing up to 11,000 tonnes of environmental waste, annually, in the process.

“Today, we have made the common charger a reality in Europe,” Agius Saliba said. “We have waited for ten years for this proposal, but amazingly, we finalised the agreement only nine months after the Commission had proposed it.”

The USB Type-C charger will be common for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras, and by 2025, for laptops too.

As the chief negotiator of the European Parliament, MEP Alex Agius Saliba also said that he is proud that the scope was extended to cover laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices.

It doesn’t end there. In the pipeline, wireless charging could be the next major change we could see, that could further reduce our day-to-day mundane hassles. But this is still in its early days.

While the initiative was well-received by most, Agius Saliba admitted to having received some pushback, particularly from large corporations having a stake in selling their own chargers.

With the EU forcing mega-tech companies’ hands as a result of the new initiative, they will now have to adapt to the USB Type-C charging port or go completely wireless. What road each company will take is now in its hands.

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Are you looking forward to having a common charger legislature in force?

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