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• Americans, on average own three different charging devices
• Discarded and unused chargers alone generate over 11,000 tons of e-waste annually
Three US senators have urged the Commerce Department to develop a plan to standardize chargers across mobile devices.
Senators Edward Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders said the US should follow the European Union’s lead “by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics.”
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the lawmakers also mentioned that the EU’s “policy has the potential to significantly reduce e-waste and help consumers who are tired of having to rummage through junk drawers full of tangled chargers to find a compatible one, or buy a new one.”
Last week European Commission agreed to a single standardized charging port for mobile phones, tablets and cameras, which will force smartphone makers like Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) and other electronics makers to equip their devices with a standard USB-C charging port.
The bloc also said manufacturers must comply with the new terms by 2024.
Markey’s statement stated that Americans, on average own three different charging devices, and if implemented, the country will reduce some of its e-waste as discarded and unused chargers alone generate more than 11,000 tons of e-waste annually.
Picture Credit: Forbes
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