Charging ahead

SPAIN has taken a major step towards reducing electronic waste and promoting sustain‐ability in the technology indus‐try by adapting the EU’s uni‐versal charger law to fit its own regulations.

Girona. With 22,000 employees and over 40 facilities throughout Spain, Amazon is among the top 10 employers in the coun‐try.

However, the company isn’t without its critics, particularly as it announced some 9,000 layoffs globally, earlier this year which caused concern. Amazon later clarified that the layoffs are not exclusive to Spain, saying that it actually plans to expand its work‐force to 25,000 employees in the country by 2025.

Despite its immense success, Amazon said that its profit margins remain low due to the competitive market and increasing operating costs.

On Friday, April 21, the country announced its adop‐tion of the EU’s universal charger law, but with some unique regulations of its own. This move is set to revolu‐tionise the way we charge our devices and could save con‐sumers millions of euros.

Customers will now have the option to choose whether they want a new charger to come with their electronic de‐vices. This means that people who already have chargers compatible with their new de‐vices can opt‐out of purchasing a new one, reducing unneces‐sary electronic waste.

Spain’s adaptation of the EU regulations will help to pro‐mote the reuse of cables and chargers, reducing electronic waste and saving consumers approximately €26m per year.