How many mobile devices are there in your household? Of those how many different types of chargers are there?

Well, that could be about to change. The IEC, International Electrotechnical Commission, recently published a new standard in the form of IEC 62684 titled “Interoperability specifications of common external power supply (EPS) for use with data-enabled mobile telephones”.

IEC General Secretary and CEO Ronnie Amit said, “We all have drawers full of chargers that became obsolete as soon as we buy a new phone. Today, we have a truly operational global standard that will allow the industry to end this waste and significantly reduce environmental impact. This is something millions of consumers have been waiting for. I am proud that the IEC has managed to get the best possible technical solution in record time to the market.”

The standard covers a number of aspects relating to the power supply but in particular focuses on the micro USB plug specification, which will no doubt please the European Commission (who have been pushing for some time for a common charger), and a number of manufacturers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission which is an early step in adopting the standard.

Major device manufacturers include Nokia, Samsung, LGE, Research in Motion, Apple, LGE, Motorola Mobility, and Sony Ericsson, amongst others.

So, could this lead to huge savings in electronic waste or simply mean that devices will ship with a converting adaptor? Only time will tell.