Common charger will end cable chaos

The tangled web of cables and chargers for mobile phones and other devices — typical in so many homes and offices — will soon be a thing of the past with manufacturers legally obliged to conform to one specific plug for all.

More than 500m mobile phones alone are used in the EU and at least 30 types of chargers; generating about 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste a year and costing consumers and the environment dearly.

A previous attempt at conformation was made when phone manufacturers agreed to produce a common charger — but just for smartphones. However, this agreement collapsed after a year or two.