Some of the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturers have agreed to adopt a new universal standard of phone charger in an effort to be more environmentally friendly.
Until now, most mobile phones have used proprietary chargers that will only work on one kind of device, leading to cupboards full of unwanted chargers in homes across the country.
But now, according to a report in The Telegraph, 10 companies, including Apple, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, have submitted a memorandum of understanding to the European Commission, pledging to start making phones that can be charged using a single charger.
The manufacturers will adopt the Micro USB connector across all their devices from next year, meaning that dozens of different handsets can be charged using a single plug.
The European Commission has been putting pressure on mobile phone makers to reach an agreement on a universal charging standard in an effort to cut down on the thousands of tons of waste generated each year by the inclusion of unwanted chargers with every new handset.
The GSMA, the trade organisation that represents the mobile phone industry, said that the new universal chargers will consume half as much energy when on standby as today's charging cables.
Technology experts have welcomed the announcement.
