Uniform charging plug: less electronic waste and lower costs!

Uniform charging plug: less electronic waste and lower costs!

From the end of the year, USB-C becomes a uniform charging standard in the EU and Switzerland! This groundbreaking step means that most new electrical devices-from smartphones to tablets to digital cameras-can all be invited with the same USB-C charging plug. According to the information from nau.ch this standard also applies to loudspeaker boxes, headphones, portable navigation systems, mice and printer. The big advantage? No more cable acet and a package of measures that could reduce the electrical waste in the EU by almost 1000 tons annually.

important requirements and their effects

The new guidelines that have also been adopted in Switzerland demand that all new cell phones, tablets and similar devices will now be equipped with USB-C connections. From spring 2026, all new laptops even have to meet this uniform standard. The Commission expects consumers to use their cables longer in the future and to buy fewer chargers in the future, which could lead to a saving of several thousand tons of CO2, such as vienna.at . So far, consumers in the EU spend around 250 million euros annually for chargers who are often unnecessary.

For important manufacturers like Apple, however, there is adaptation pressure. After the group had initially bought against these regulations, the iPhone models 15 and 16 were now modified accordingly. Among the new regulations, all devices, including those with wireless charging function, must have a USB-C connection. This is seen as a big step towards consumer protection and resource protection, commented Anna Cavazzini, the chair of the Committee on Consumer Protection in the European Parliament.