Single charger for notebook computers
Single charger for notebook computers will significantly reduce e-waste
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which is the international standards and conformity assessment body for all fields of electrotechnology, recently announced the publication of the first globally relevant Technical Specification for a single external charger for a wide range of notebook computers and laptops. This constitutes a major milestone, since according to the estimations the total amount of e-waste related to all kinds of chargers of ICT (information and communication) devices exceeds half a million tons per year. The new IEC Technical Specification opens the way to a significant and very real reduction of e-waste related to power supplies, and will allow consumers to use a single external charger with a wide range of notebook computers. In addition, this way the reuse and replacement of external chargers will be much easier as well. In 2011, it was also IEC who published the first globally relevant Standard for a universal charger for data enabled mobile phones. Frans Vreeswijk, general secretary and CEO of IEC, said that IEC aims at bringing concrete, feasible solutions to the market place, which results in state-of-the art tools allowing policy makers to initiate achievable and effective energy-efficiency and waste-management programmes.
The full article can be found on the website of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Still usable AC power adapters (photo made by Johann H. Addicks)
