Apple introduced its own proprietary lightning connectors with the iPhone 5 in 2012.
But after more than a decade of use it was phased out and replaced with USB-C ports in more recent versions of its handsets, starting with the iPhone 15 last September.
Consumer groups have frequently pointed to the number of different cables needed and discarded based on the varying options for connectors on devices as a source of e-waste.
Materials Focus, a charity encouraging the reuse and recycling of electricals, has been encouraging people to recycle old cables to meet growing demand for their copper contents.
Research by its Recycle Your Electricals campaign suggested the UK had more than 600 million unused or discarded cables, external.
However, some have previously warned that the EU's directive will lead to a rise in discarded lightning cables in years to come.