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Energizer

Energizer offers recycled high capacity batteries

technologyEdward Kiledjian

Energizer has release a new line of "Eco" branded alkaline batteries that contain 4% recycled material. While speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Michelle Atkinson, the Chief Marketing Officer admitted that there is a problem related to recyclers not processing alkaline batteries right now. Energizer hopes that by creating economic value for this recycling, they can jump start this new line of business for recyclers. 

Why aren't alkaline batteries being recycled today 

Companies stopped using mercury in the mid 90s therefore most jurisdictions allow consumers to simply discard them with their normal household trash. Sure there is some steel (top and bottom covers) but this is so small the recovery cost would outweigh any sale receipts. 

Energizer Eco Advanced only contains 4% recycled material

My first reaction when I learned about this battery was "Only 4% recycled material hardly seems like a breakthrough". Energizer has said it wants to continue research to increase the proportion slowly over time (reaching  40% by 2025). 

On a positive note, Energizer claims this is their highest performing alkaline battery to date, which is definitely a good thing. There is a very slight price premium per pack for these Eco batteries compared to their regular products. 

Conclusion

Recycling is a fantastic exercise and anything that allows us to reduce our use of natural resources is definitely commendable. The reality is that these batteries only contain 4% recycle material which is nice but not earth shattering. 

Plus it is important to keep in mind that many store brand batteries cost much less and perform almost as well as the name brands. So Energizer is hoping the Eco budget will appeal to an environmentally conscious crowd that is less cost conscious (aka willing to spend more to feel good about themselves).

The major breakthrough will be when they finally get over 40% recycled.

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Top 5 best disposable AA batteries money can buy

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Image by deanj under Creative Commons License

Image by deanj under Creative Commons License

One of the questions I get asked the most is about what batteries types and brands readers should  buy.

I wrote an article in December (link) explaining the difference between high/low drain devices and when you should use alkaline/lithium batteries. 

I'll wait here while you go and quickly read that article... Go on... I'll wait. OK. So my top 5 favorite batteries are:

  1. Energizer Ultimate (Lithium)
  2. Energizer Advanced  (Lithium)
  3. Duracell Quantum (Alkaline)
  4. Duracell Ultimate (Alkaline)
  5. Kirkland signature (Alkaline)

How did I build this list? Easy I did real world tests. I bought the freshest batteries I could find (about 20 different brands from name brands to store labels) and then I performed the following tests:

  • hours of use in a incandescent bulb Maglite flashlight
  • hours of use in a LED bulb LedLenser flashlight
  • number of pictures in a point and shoot camera
  • hours of use in a kids toy

Above you see the very best performers in the disposable battery category. Good rechargeables typically perform best in high drain devices but that is a different article for a different day.

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Secret to picking the right AA battery

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Creative Commons Image - Flicker Swanksalot

Creative Commons Image - Flicker Swanksalot

You probably received all kinds of shiny new gizmos for christmas and some of them may need AA batteries. Which ones should you choose?

Devices fall into 2 categories :

  • High Drain Devices - These are electronic devices that require a sizeable amount of sustained current to work (like a digital camera, camera flash, etc)
  • Low Drain Devices - These require low amounts of power for short periods at spaced out intervals (like a remote control, alarm clock , etc)

There are 2 main AA disposable battery technologies:

  • Lithium Batteries - These are typically more expensive and are of a newer technology
  • Alkaline Batteries - These are the "standard" batteries you find everywhere at reasonable prices.

How to choose the right battery

For low drain devices, both lithium and alkaline batteries have fairly similar power performance profiles (not the same but close enough). This means that for these devices, you should buy the cheaper alkaline batteries. It is important to note that not all alkaline batteries perform the same. Many of the cheaper brands deliver terrible performance so I recommend sticking with the Duracell Quantum and the Kirkland Signature (second choice doesn't perform exactly like the Duracell but has good performance at a great price).

For high drain devices, my tests show that the lithium batteries significantly outperform the alkaline ones (often by a factor of 5-9 times more). I tested about a dozen brands and the most reliably high performer was the Energizer Ultimate Lithium. The Duracell Ultra Lithium came in as a close second but this is a part of their professional line and is much more difficult to find.