AT&T ZERO Charger Helps End Wasted Electricity and Reduce Landfill Waste

According to the United States Department of Energy, the total amount of electricity that flows through internal and external power adapters is nearly 470 billion kWh per year or about 12 percent of the nation’s annual electricity consumption. During the process these devices consume about 120 billion kWh per year of electricity and turn it into heat, costing the nation over $12 billion in electric bills. Continuing the theme of energy conservation in this blog, AT&T announced that it will make available in its U.S. stores in a mobile phone charger that “does not waste power when left plugged in, and improves charging efficiency when powering a device.” (Photo: AT&T)

According to a March 17, 2010 press release, “The AT&T ZERO Charger will also make life easier for customers, with a ‘block and cable’ design for maximum interchangeability, allowing them to use the same charger for future handsets and will, over time, cut the number of chargers produced, thus reducing future landfill waste.” Partnering with Irwindale, California-based Superior Communications, “the AT&T ZERO charger works by automatically sensing when a mobile phone is not plugged up to the charger and cutting the power supply from the wall socket. The charger will be sold in packaging with 100% recycled paper. AT&T recently announced a transition to smaller and more eco-friendly packaging for the wireless device accessories sold in AT&T stores. This change will eliminate more than 60 percent of the paper and more than 30 percent of the plastic previously used for AT&T’s accessory products.”

AT&T notes that when conventional chargers are left plugged in, even when not actively charging a mobile device, can draw as much as 5 to 20 times more energy than stored in the battery. “Adding to its efficiency, the AT&T ZERO Charger can be used to charge many existing and future handheld devices — all from one outlet,” explains a Superior Communications press release. “Over time, this will help reduce the number of chargers produced and discarded to minimize impact on the environment.” This innovative device has a 5-star efficiency rating, which exceeds the standards set by GSMA and the ZERO charger is AT&T’s first step toward full GSMA compliance. (Photo: Superior Communications)