According to a decision by the EU Parliament, there will be only one type of charging cable in future for environmental reasons. Even the association of municipal companies is positive – only Apple is blocking itself.
Honestly: Do you also have a drawer in which you can store the charging cables of past and current smartphones, tablets or charging stations as a colorful cable salad or are you one of the neatest who dispose of mobile phone accessories immediately after a new purchase?
Speaking of disposal: According to VDE Almost every German throws away up to 22.8 kg of electronic waste per year (as of 2016; it should be more by now). A not insignificant part of this are passive devices such as charging cables. Which is sometimes because old cables are not compatible with the connection of a newly purchased device. Actually a no-go in times of global warming and environmental protection.
European Parliament calls for uniform charging technology
In order to reduce the amount of electronic waste, the European Parliament is now calling for uniform charging technology for mobile electrical devices in the EU. The cables should also be more durable. By the end of July, the EU Commission is to work out stricter regulations for manufacturers. When it passed last Thursday, Parliament met with widespread approval (582 to 40 Votes) of the deputies. The Association of Municipal Enterprises also made a positive statement.
USB-C versus MicroUSB versus Lightning
The implementation of the requirement would be very simple: Since USB-C stands out from the older MicroUSB due to its more convenient handling (symmetrical socket) and a faster transmission speed and has now become an established industry standard, one could agree on this. The fact that USB-C is backwards compatible via adapters with VGA, DVI, USB 2 and HDMI and thus, in turn, cables could be saved would be an argument for this standard.
Apple argues against uniform charging technology
If it weren’t for Apple. The US technology company argues that replacing cables would result in more electronic waste for them.
This may be true in the short term, but the thought arises whether the decline in profits due to the lack of sales of manufacturer-owned replacement cables should not play a role here, as is well known, charging stations and original charging cables from Appel are not exactly the cheapest on the market ,
Apple’s commitment to a uniform standard could also stall future innovations. Indeed? Didn’t manufacturers of Android smartphones like Samsung or Oppo prove the opposite in terms of innovation? And why is Apple using USB-C for its iPad Pro?
A simple measure against passive electronic waste: Uniform charging cables
A lot has happened in recent years: Once almost every manufacturer provided their cell phones or charging stations with their own plug format, after a voluntary voluntary commitment by the industry around a decade ago, the microUSB standard and then the USB-C standard were adopted by. Apple is largely outside and continues to rely on its own Lightning connector for its devices
What do you think about the topic and which charging port would you choose? Write us down your answer Facebook or to [email protected].
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