27 Aug Be a Bright Spark with our Eco Batteries

Our homes and lives wouldn’t be the same without batteries – the tiny dynamos that provide all our favourite gadgets and modern conveniences with the power they need. From torches and electronic toys to the TV remote control, we rely on batteries to keep things running smoothly. And then when the juice runs out, we just pop them out, toss them in the bin and put some new ones in their place – right? Wrong!

Batteries that get thrown away will be left in landfills, where they’ll start leaching their chemical contents into the earth and the atmosphere over time. These nasties include lead, plastics, sulphuric acid, mercury and cadmium. Considering the amount of batteries the average household uses, we’re looking at a very small product causing a very big mess. So, while our latest newsletter and blogs are focused on the topic of green cleaning, we thought we’d give you a few quick tips on keeping your home’s electronics that much cleaner and greener, by being more responsible about your battery use.

1. Don’t Bin your Batteries

Ordinary alkaline batteries are classified as “hazardous waste” and should never be thrown in your regular household trash. A number of local South African retail stores now provide special recycling points for the safe disposal and recycling of batteries, ink cartridges and CFC light bulbs, so be sure to make use of these convenient facilities on your next shopping trip.

Did You Know? Ordinary household batteries are the single largest source of mercury metal.

2. Ditch the Disposables

Rechargeable batteries can be reused over and over again, which cuts down on waste and makes them a greener choice than single-use batteries. If you must use chemical-laden batteries, opt for rechargeable ones wherever possible.

Did You Know? The energy needed to manufacture an ordinary battery is 50 times more than the energy it produces!