The European Parliament wants tech companies to issue a universal charger for products like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. URGENTLY. Like, hella quick.
Why? The environment, duh. Europeans generate almost 17 kilograms of e-waste per inhabitant. While individual chargers probably aren’t responsible for a difference-making amount of that, getting tech companies on board with a common cable is easier than getting German office buildings to stop using printers, for example.
It’s also great for humans. Nothing worse than hope crushed when you hand a friend your iPhone, on its last breath, dying for a charge, only to be told “I have an Android.”
“There is an urgent need for EU regulatory action to reduce electronic waste and empower consumers to make sustainable choices,” reads a press release. “The European Parliament calls on the Commission to put forward beefed-up rules on common chargers by July 2020 at the latest.”
The resolution was first introduced in 2014. Last week it passed by 582 votes to 40. Another 37 delegates were absent, presumably looking for a charger.
There are currently three charger types on the market. In 2009, there were around 30. Progress.
