A tech group in Switzerland has developed a universal laptop charging standard it says would help significantly reduce the amount of e-scrap disposed of by consumers.

Recently published estimates show that charger-related e-scrap – from computers and other devices – comes to more than 500,000 tons each year. The idea is that if all laptops used the same external chargers, consumers would be less likely to dispose of a still-working computer if the charger for that machine stopped working.

However, commentators think that getting manufacturers to adopt the idea could pose as a significant challenge. The issue is that charging systems tend to vary wildly between different types of notebook computers. Added to this is the face that many manufactures see the design of their chargers as part of the product brand, so they will likely be unwilling to shift to a universal model.

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