EU rules on common chargers apply to laptops from today.
This means that all new laptops sold in the European Union must now support USB-C charging, reports Buz Post.
In December 2024, the rules came into force for mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headsets, video game consoles and portable speakers.
Laptop manufacturers were given a longer deadline to allow for redesign and transition to a common charging system.
The EU’s Common Chargers Directive ended the need for multiple and different chargers for devices.
The European Parliament adopted the new rules in 2022, with the European Commission estimating at the time that this would save consumers around €250 million.
The directive also ensures that charging speeds are the same when compatible chargers are used.
The rules are designed to reduce the environmental footprint associated with the production and disposal of chargers.
The EU said discarded and unused chargers accounted for about 11,000 tons of e-waste each year.
In 2023, Apple replaced the Lightning charging ports with a universal USB-C charger on its newest iPhone models, pending the entry into force of the EU’s Common Charging Directive./BuzPost/
