I'm thinking this is probably related to them going PVC and Phtalate free. While the avoidance generally could be seen as laudable from a environmental perspect

I'm thinking this is probably related to them going PVC and Phtalate free. While the avoidance generally could be seen as laudable from a environmental perspective, it might have been counter productive in this particular instance, especially since the cable itself can't be replaced without replacing the entire charger. It really has to be a nightmare trying to optimize cables for environmental friendliness, especially in an environment where the looks are so important. I don't know about all the options as I'm not in the business, especially for white cables there simply doesn't seem to be many, or even any reasonable option. Notably, the newer generation of chargers seems to have replaceable cables. Maybe that's the least bad?