{"id":4023,"date":"2026-01-06T06:44:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T05:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.batteriedeportable.com\/guides-et-conseils\/eu-usb-c-charger-mandatory-cut-e-waste\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T06:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T05:44:20","slug":"eu-usb-c-charger-mandatory-cut-e-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/eu-usb-c-charger-mandatory-cut-e-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"The EU makes USB Type\u2011C mandatory to cut electronic waste"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>USB Type-C<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> connector is now the standard format imposed for charging. This requirement applies to all portable equipment that needs power not exceeding <\/span><b>100 W<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Apple has voiced concerns that this decision could deal a serious blow to innovation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The European Parliament (EP) has made its decision official today: all phones, tablets and digital cameras sold in the EU must have a USB Type-C port by the end of <\/span><b>2024<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and laptops will be added to this list in spring <\/span><b>2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopted by an overwhelming majority in plenary (602 votes in favour), this new regulation is at the heart of a European strategy aimed at <\/span><b>drastically reducing waste<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> generated by electronic devices and giving consumers the means to make more responsible long-term choices.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 80% 0 0 0; position: relative;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1147616495?autoplay=1&amp;loop=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"> <\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The end of charger overload<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to these new rules, users will no longer be forced to buy a different charger with every new purchase. It will be possible to use the <\/span><b>same charger<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a wide range of small and medium-sized electronic devices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the manufacturer, all future mobile phones, tablets, cameras, headsets, handheld consoles, wireless speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable sat nav systems and laptops that charge via cable, with a maximum power of 100W, will be required to include a USB Type-C port. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, devices that support fast charging will have to offer a <\/span><b>uniform charging speed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, allowing the use of any compatible adapter.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits for users and the environment<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major environmental impact<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This legislation should boost the <\/span><b>re-use of adapters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, enabling citizens to save an estimated <\/span><b>\u20ac250 million a year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by avoiding the purchase of unnecessary chargers. Unused or discarded chargers account for a considerable volume of waste, around <\/span><b>11,000 tonnes of electronic waste<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> each year in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information and freedom of choice<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific labels will give users clear information about the charging capabilities of devices, making it easier to <\/span><b>check compatibility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with their existing equipment. Buyers will also be able to choose, in full knowledge of the facts, whether or not to include an adapter when purchasing a new product.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Towards harmonised wireless charging<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As wireless charging technology becomes more widespread, the European Commission is required to establish harmonised interoperability criteria before the end of 2024. This will help avoid negative consequences for both consumers and the planet. <\/span><b>This initiative also aims to remove the technological \u00ab\u00a0lock-in\u00a0\u00bb effect that ties customers to a single manufacturer.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EP rapporteur, Alex Saliba, underlined the importance of this step forward: \u00ab\u00a0The universal charger will finally become a reality. We have been working on this idea for more than ten years, and we can finally turn the page on this proliferation of chargers. This law is future-oriented and supports the development of innovative charging solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is good for everyone: for frustrated consumers and for our environment. Even in difficult times for politics, the EU is showing that it can innovate to improve the lives of millions of Europeans and set an example for other regions of the world.\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How and when the rules come into force<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The directive must now be formally approved by the European Council before its official publication. It will apply <\/span><b>20 days after its publication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Member states will then have one year to transpose these new rules into their national law, followed by another year to apply them in practice. Products placed on the market before the effective date will not be affected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The USB Type-C connector is now the standard format imposed for charging. This requirement applies to all portable equipment that needs power not exceeding 100 W. Apple has voiced concerns that this decision could deal a serious blow to innovation&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[212],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4023\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}