How many appliances does a family generally own? I myself, for example, commonly use cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, stereos, etc.

But have you noticed that the chargers for these appliances are all different, except for the same brand of phone and tablet chargers.

According to an Apple Insider report, EU officials voted in favor of a long-planned proposal to require Apple and all tech companies to adopt USB-C as a universal charger and to add new requirements for wireless charging standards.

"Five billion portable device chargers are shipped in Europe every year, generating 11,000 to 13,000 tons of electronic waste," said Alex Agius Saliba of the European Union.

"It will help protect the environment, further help reuses old electronics, save money, and reduce unnecessary costs and inconvenience for businesses and consumers." More importantly,

the EU now wants universal chargers and wireless charging requirements to apply to more devices, including laptops and other electronics.

Previously, Apple had opposed the EU's plan to require universal chargers.

Apple said in 2020, "We believe that regulations mandating consistency in the types of connectors built into all smartphones would stifle rather than encourage innovation and would harm consumers and the economy as a whole in Europe.

We hope the European Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not limit the industry's ability to innovate and brings exciting new technologies to customers."

The new vote approves these amendments to the existing proposal, and the entire package must now be voted on by the European Parliament as a whole in May 2022.

Thereafter, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee said it would be "ready to start negotiations with the EU on the final form of the government's response to the legislation."

No legislation will be finally implemented until the instruments are finalized and legal challenges are completed. Implementation could take several years. The EU has previously implemented micro USB as a standard after introducing USB-C to the market.

Though e-waste has been an issue for decades, the speed at which new electronic devices are being brought to market is fueling a cycle of purchase and disposal. New devices beget more electronics in landfills.

One contributor is consumerism, another is planned obsolescence – a process where tech companies deliberately create devices that cannot easily be repaired or update operating systems that are incompatible with older devices.

EU pushing for USB-C to become the standard for all smartphone charging will reduce more e-waste.

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