The United Nations' (UN's) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved what it describes as a more environmentally friendly standard for a universal charger for laptops and other portable devices. ITU says the standard provides for improved energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to lead to significant reductions in e-waste.
The international standard—officially known as Recommendation ITU-T L.1002, "External universal power adapter solutions for portable ICT devices"—specifies principles for the eco-design of a laptop charger to reduce no-load power consumption to five times below the norm. Moreover, the applicability of the charger to multiple devices, as well as design principles for the efficient use of raw materials, will greatly increase their lifetime and reduce the e-waste resulting from their disposal, ITU says.
"e-Waste has grown into a significant challenge to environmental sustainability," says ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. "The L.1000 series of standards will contribute to the achievement of the targets set out by Goal 12 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns."
According to the ITU, one million tons of external power supplies are currently manufactured each year.
