“We can rejoice that we are putting an end to this waste”salutes Tuesday June 7 on franceinfo Samuel Sauvage, co-founder of the Halte à l’obsolescence programmed (HOP) association, while the EU will impose from 2024 a universal wired charger for smartphones, tablets, consoles and devices digital photos, after an agreement was reached on Tuesday between Member States and MEPs. “It’s 11,000 tons of waste that can be saved each year, It’s the weight of the Eiffel Tower.”
The project was launched in 2009 by the European Commission, but until now it had come up against strong reluctance from the industry. “That says a lot about the weight of lobbies”underlines Samuel Sauvage who now wishes that “It’s coming together quickly.”
franceinfo: do you like the decision of the European Union?
Samuel Savage: This says a lot about the weight of lobbies at European level. Ten years to arrive at a measure of common sense like that seems really long. But we can rejoice. 11,000 tonnes of waste can be saved each year. That’s the weight of the Eiffel Tower. That’s nothing like advanced. And we can rejoice that we are putting an end to this waste which, in addition, complicates the lives of all consumers and all citizens.
Is it the symbol of a Europe that works?
Yes. We can also consider that she walks slowly given the subject. But she shows that she can provide an answer. At European Union level, we have enough weight to exert pressure. Now, what we want to say is ‘chiche! Go further’. We looked at the charger, let’s look at the devices, let’s look at their lifespan, how do we inform the consumer with a clue to say if it can be repaired or if it will be sustainable.
“Let’s look at the warranty and try to promote smartphones that will last longer. We can go even further. But it’s already a great step forward.”
Samuel Sauvage, co-founder of the Halte à l’obsolescence programmed (HOP) associationat franceinfo
Will this decision mainly concern Apple, which had made the specifics of its connections its strategy?
And for no valid technical reason. It was a way of capturing users once they had all these chargers, these connectors, they felt a little obliged to remain a customer of this brand. So there, we see that we will be able to free up the possibilities for consumers, free up the possibility of not having to buy a charger and to have it loaned much more easily. Finally, we succeeded. Now, let’s do everything we can to get this implemented quickly.
For all the people who have several chargers in their drawers, can we recycle them?
Do not put them in your black trash can. Do not let them sleep in your drawers either because it is useless. There are specific collections. There are collection points. Sometimes you see them in supermarkets. And then there are the eco-organizations that organize frequent collections. This ensures that they will be recycled. Because behind the devices and connectors, there are often very precious metals that can be polluting. And so you have to be careful not to put them in the ordinary trash.