A new universal laptop charger standard that promises to cut down on e-waste has been published in the hope that it firms will choose to adopt it.

The International Electrotechnical Commission [IEC] Technical Specification 62700 would be compatible with a wide range of notebook computers and the IEC hopes that it will be adopted in the same way as the standard published for mobile phones.

“The IEC International Standards for the universal charger for mobile phones has been widely adopted by the mobile phone industry and is already starting to help reduce e-waste. A single power supply covering a wide range of notebook computers is the next step in lowering e-waste and its impact on our planet. I am proud that the IEC has yet again managed to make the best possible technical solution available,” stated IEC general secretary and CEO Frans Vreeswijk.

The IEC release states that it wants to attempt to reduce the e-waste related to chargers that is estimated at half a million tons per year and is not just the chargers themselves. When chargers are lost or break often computers are also thrown away and the IEC thinks that a universal standard will prevent computers from being disposed of and adding to the e-waste.

IEC’s new standard covers all parts of the charger including the connector and plug, in addition to the safety, interoperability, performance and environmental considerations.

“The IEC is all about bringing concrete, feasible solutions to the market place. We welcome input from many sides to make our work as broadly relevant as possible. The result are state-of-the art tools that allow policy makers to initiate achievable and effective energy-efficiency and waste-management programmes,” Vreeswijk added.

The IEC plans to have the notebook charger ready for distribution in the early part of 2014 and follows the earlier released common standard for mobile phones that was adopted by the European Union in September.

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