30th June 2009 - Plan for single phone charger

The days of filling drawers and cupboards with more and more new mobile phone chargers are set to come to an end thanks to a new agreement announced yesterday by the European Commission.

Under new plans sought by local MEP Linda McAvan, the major mobile phone companies will soon be making life easier by agreeing a universal standard mobile phone charger.

The deal, agreed by Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, Research in Motion and NEC Corp, will mean that from next year chargers will be interchangeable between different models of phones.

It is estimated that 51,000 mobile phone chargers are lying around unused within the EU.

Linda McAvan, who sits on the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, said:

“Last year, we urged the European Commission to take this issue up and I’m really pleased that they have managed to broker an agreement. The new single charger will not only make life easier, but is also good news for the environment: no longer will you need a different charger every time you buy a new phone.”