‘Tech waste’ is an issue you rarely hear politicians talk about, but should be a major talking point when you really think about the massive problem it is. ‘Technology waste’ refers to amount of trash the tech industry causes due to a over production of certain devices and peripherals, along with the fact that they are very hard to recycle. One major example of this are charging cables. Most of us have a ton of charging cables lying around in our homes, most of which we never use or no longer work. Recently on Twitter Elizabeth Warren had interesting take on one change that could help curtail the ‘tech waste’ issue, and it led to Apple getting roasted.
Social Media Roasts Apple Devices Not Using USB-C after Elizabeth Warren Cancels Chargers
In a viral post via her Twitter account Elizabeth Warren stated that tech companies making devices that use different chargers is a major cause of ‘technology waste’. She believes that if a uniform standard was made requiring electronic devices to use the same charger by law it would reduce waste and save people money, which is correct in theory. In the tweet she wrote, “Consumers shouldn’t have to keep buying new chargers all the time for different devices. We can clear things up with uniform standards—for less expense, less hassle, and less waste”.
Once people caught wind of Elizabeth Warren’s chargers tweet, the eyes of iPhone users lit up with anger towards Apple. As you probably know Apple devices such as iPhones don’t use USB-C chargers, and instead uses proprietary charging technology for no good reason. Every Android user has had that moment where they tried to plugin an Apple device not realizing it uses chargers based on their technology. What’s crazy about that is USB-C tech has been proven to be faster at charging and transferring data. As such Elizabeth Warren’s words made social media roast Apple iPhones not using USB-C chargers, which in theory makes them a big culprit in the tech waste issue.
Would Apple Refusing USB-C Make it Impossible to Pass a Uniform Chargers Standard in America?
On the surface it may seem like a uniform USB-C standard would be impossible to pass in the United States due to the influence large tech companies have on legislation that impacts them directly. There’s no doubt that Apple would probably pushback on any type of laws outlawing their proprietary charging technology since it could lose them billions in revenue.
However, the European Union just passed a law mandating USB-C as the standard charging port, which will go into effect in 2024. If they can do it America can too right?
