This is (hopefully) the future of power banks

The tech explosion has vastly outstripped our ability to recycle that tech once it hits the end of its life. According to data supplied by the UNITAR (United Nation Institute for Training and Research), 62 million tons of e-waste was produced in 2022, and this is set to grow to a colossal 82 million tons, by 2030. To make matters worse, less than a quarter of that e-waste is recycled.

Also: The best power banks you can buy

That’s why I like to see companies producing gadgets with recycled materials. Once such company is Vonmählen. Based in Germany, it specializes in sustainably-minded products, and it just released the Evergreen Mag, a MagSafe power bank made of 37% recycled materials with a Qi2 charging pad. 

Although it’s not yet commercially available in the U.S., my hope is that covering it will inspires market changes that bring better, similar-functioning accessories to North America in the near future. 

On the outside, the Evergreen Mag looks much like every other MagSafe power bank. It has a 5,000mAh/19.25Wh battery, a Qi2 wireless charging pad capable of 15W maximum output, a USB-C port that can handle up to 20W Power Delivery output and 15W input for charging.

Even better: you can use the wireless charging pad and the USB-C port simultaneously, and in this configuration you can get 5W from both outputs.

In terms of its physical form, the power bank is very thin and light, measuring 102 × 70 × 8.6mm and weighing just 118g; super thin and light and idea for slipping into a pocket or bag. 

In terms of sustainability, its recycled materials include recycled aluminum, recycled PC + ABS, and recycled cobalt. And in my testing, I found no issues at all with these materials. They’re in the battery when new, they’re in the battery when it’s at the end of it’s life, and when reclaimed, they’re just as good as new.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Evergreen Mag oozes German engineering. Not only does it perform perfectly, the workmanship is flawless, making this an example of the premium power bank. And at €70, it comes with a premium price tag.

Also: The best portable power stations you can buy

This is my first encounter with Vonmählen, and I like what the company is doing. The only problem right now is that Vonmählen isn’t as easy to get hold of outside of Europe, and I’d not only like to see the company make more of a splash in the US, but I’d also like to see the existing bit players in the power bank market (and the tech industry as a whole) make much more use of recycled materials in their products.