This week, Switzerland announced it is introducing USB-C as a uniform charging standard from 1 January 2024. The revision was approved by the Federal Council on 22 November 2023.
From 2024, consumers in Switzerland will be able to use the same charging power supply for devices from different manufacturers. The rules will apply to mobile phones and other radio or wireless communication devices and systems. These will include devices with wireless elements such as tablets, digital cameras, laptops, headphones and e-readers.
A key advantage of a uniform charging standard is reduced waste electronic and redundancy.
In addition, manufacturers must inform consumers on the packaging and in accompanying information about the charging properties of the device and whether a charging adapter is included. They are obliged to also offer devices without a charging adapter in their product ranges. This will allow customers with a draw full of old chargers to avoid unnecessarily buying an additional charger.
Switzerland is following an EU directive, which was issued at the end of 2022. EU states and those with links to the EU such as Switzerland were given one year to comply.
More on this:
Government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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