Senators Urge Commerce to Develop Anti-Waste Device Chargers Strategy

Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged the Commerce Department to develop “a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics.” Such a move would “follow the EU’s lead” after the European Commission’s recent ruling “obligating electronics manufacturers to adopt a common charger for mobile devices” by 2024 (see 2206090048), the senators said in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo released Friday. “Consumers frequently must pay for new specialized charging equipment and accessories for their different devices. This is not merely an annoyance; it can be a financial burden.” As “specialized chargers become obsolete with the introduction of new products, or as consumers change the brand of phone or device that they use, their outdated chargers are usually just thrown away,” the senators said: “When electronics are not disposed of properly, e-waste can spread toxins in water, pollute soil, and degrade the air we breathe.” The EU “has wisely acted in the public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue,” the senators said: The U.S. “should do the same.”