One to charge them all: EU demands single plug for phones

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — The European Union is unveiling plans that would require smartphone makers to adopt a single charging method for mobile devices. The EU Commission proposed legislation Thursday that would mandate USB-C cables for charging, technology that many device makers have already adopted. The main holdout is Apple, which has resisted the bloc’s efforts for a unified standard. The push by the EU will certainly be cheered by the millions of people who have searched through a drawer full of cables for the right charger. But the EU also wants to cut down on the 11,000 metric tons of electronic waste thrown out every year by Europeans.