The European Union continues its quest for a universal charger. After enforcing the USB-C port on devices, Brussels is now focusing on power adapters. By the end of 2028, the sale of chargers with non-detachable cables will be prohibited. This measure makes sense for reducing electronic waste.
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Ending an “Ecological Absurdity”
It’s clear: a frayed or broken soldered USB-C cable renders the entire power adapter useless, dooming it to the garbage. The European Commission describes this as an ecological and economic nonsense
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To address this, the new regulation requires manufacturers to only market chargers equipped with detachable cables. Specifically, all power adapters must include at least one female USB-C port, which allows users to replace just the cable or the adapter if something goes wrong. Manufacturers have three years to adjust their production lines, with the regulation taking effect at the end of 2028.
Regulation Extends Beyond Smartphones
While the previous directive (effective end of 2024) targeted ports on devices like smartphones and tablets, this new text directly targets external power supplies. The rule is much broader and will apply to a wide range of products, covering everything up to a power of 240 watts.
Thus, it concerns not only phone chargers, but also those for laptops, computer monitors, Wi-Fi routers, internet modems, and many other home and professional devices. Only a few exceptions remain, such as medical devices or certain toys.
Less Waste and a New Logo
The main goal is to increase product lifespan and enhance interoperability. By allowing only the faulty component to be replaced, the EU hopes to significantly reduce electronic waste. The Commission’s estimates are promising: they expect a 9% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and potential savings of €100 million per year for consumers by 2035. To help users identify compliant products, a new official “EU Common Charger” logo will be placed on them.
What’s the Takeaway?
This is a logical and essential next step after enforcing the USB-C port on devices. Targeting the power supply was necessary to complete the circle of the “universal charger”. On paper, it’s all gains for the consumer, who will no longer need to discard a perfectly functional 65W charger simply because the cable is damaged at its base.
Now let’s be honest, as we’ve seen recently with the new MacBook Pro M5, the trend is anyway moving towards not providing chargers in the box. This new rule will likely accelerate that trend: manufacturers will sell their modular blocks (now mandatory) separately, and probably not cheaply. By the way, we have quite a few USB-C chargers to suggest in this article.