14/08/2023
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Portable electronic devices have invaded our daily lives. They are found in every room of the house and for all uses. With them, you have to count their countless chargers. To each brand and to each device, its charger.
There is something to go crazy, when you want to recharge your phone and you do not find THE right cable, whether at home, at work or at friends.
But don’t worry, this puzzle will soon be history! The European Union wants to make the universal charger mandatory for many portable electronic devices. A project that is not new, since it was launched in 2009. At the time, it was even highly contested.
Which devices will be affected? From when? What impacts for consumers and the environment ? We explain everything in the rest of this article.
What are we talking about ?
In October 2022, the European Parliament passed the law, so that a directive applies and makes mandatory the universal charger, USB-C charger type, for several portable electronic devices by December 2024. You can then charge your Nintendo Switch and your smartphone with the same cable. You dreamed of it? It’s soon a reality!The delay may seem very long, and yet it aims to allow each Member State to take the necessary measures at the level of its country to ensure that the directive is properly applied. This deadline will also allow manufacturers to modify their products.
Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei (under the Android system) are already on the page and offer their users USB-C chargers. However, Apple, which is distinguished by its chargers compatible with no other product of a competing brand, remains cautious about this news. The brand announces that it will comply with the directive, but only in the European Union. Users of Apple products in other countries will not be affected by this measure.
The universal charger will allow all devices to charge in the same way and in a rather fast way. It will take 15 to 30 minutes for a smartphone to reach a battery level of 50% to 80%.
Affected devices
The devices concerned by this new measure will initially be: smartphones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras, wireless headphones, portable video game consoles, GPS, computer keyboards and mice, and portable speakers, regardless of their manufacturer or origin.
The project does not stop there. Since by early 2026, the obligation will also have to extend to laptops. This is an important step for consumers, but also for the environment! You will see why.
Economic and environmental impacts
Any good news for the wallet?
Yes! Simply because this directive will allow Europeans to use a single charger for all portable electronic devices. Every year, the European Commission estimates that 2.4 billion euros are spent by smartphone owners on the purchase of new chargers, due to incompatibility.
By 2024, no less than 250 million euros per year could be saved. Good news, especially when you know that an Apple charging cable is on average sold between 20 and 40€. To this can be added the purchase of a power adapter. The question is how much the brand will decide to sell its new chargers.
A reduction of electronic waste
Every year in Europe, 420 million electronic devices are sold. We can imagine that so many chargers are also sold.
The numbers are staggering. With the universal charger, no more cables piling up in our drawers not knowing what to do with them.
In addition to simplifying users' lives, the universal charger will act concretely on the amount of waste. Today, it is estimated that approximately 11,000 tonnes of e-waste are disposed of or unused. This is a significant number that was long overdue.
«On average, a consumer has three chargers, but only uses two regularly»
Another good news is that manufacturers will have to abandon the loading block (in other words the power adapter). It will be sold separately as an option. Consumers can decide for themselves whether they need it or not. They will all be compatible with all chargers.
Reduce the ecological impact of tech products
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Dipli covers and simplifies all stages with a single ambition: to become the global player of reference on the supply chain of second-hand electronic products.
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