EU lawmakers, on Thursday, called on its Commission to propose rules by mid-2020 as momentum was building for the EU to force mobile device producers to standardise their chargers.
According to European Parliament, a standard for a common charger must be adopted urgently, being a resolution passed by 582 votes as against 20.
The EU legislature and EU executive have been pushing for companies like Apple, Samsung and Sony to develop an interchangeable charger for all mobile phones as well as for portable devices such as tablet computers, since 2014.
However, Apple in particular argued that doing so would hamper innovation and could also cause many existing products to be needlessly thrown away.
According to the parliament, some 12.3 million tonnes of electronic wastes are produced in Europe annually, 16.6 kilogrammes per inhabitant.
The need for multiple chargers or changes in technology contributes to this, they argued.
