Energizer recently underlined its dedication to eco-friendliness by releasing the first rechargeable batteries that contain recyclable cells.
The company has been adhering to the green cause for a while now: about this time last year, Energizer released the first AA batteries in history that contained 4 percent used recycled battery material. In March 2015, the company rolled out the first AA and AAA rechargeable batteries that use old batteries in the manufacturing process.
The 2015 batteries, named EcoAdvanced, were a first in the power source field, showing that it is possible for a high-performance alkaline battery to be built partly from recycled cells. The company is being discreet about the process. What we know is that the 4 percent of the recycled battery material get transformed into what Energizer calls an "active ingredient."
This implies that sources of energy could be created by relying less on fresh material and more on scraping existing resources.
Michelle Atkinson, Energizer Chief Consumer Officer, explained the progress in 2016.
She mentions that the new batteries, dubbed Energizer Recharge, represent an additional step towards a future where all the company's batteries will contain an amount of recycled battery material.
Not only does Energizer's rechargeable batteries base 4 percent of their content on exhausted power packs, but vehicle battery materials from hybrid cars may also be put into the new power sources. This simply means that a part of your Prius can power a child's toy sometime in the future.
If 4 percent seems like a meager number, fret not. The efficiency is prone to improve during the next 10 years, so that Energizer reaches its ambitious eco-friendly target. The company touted that, by 2025, its batteries will be made up of 40 percent recycled material.
Atkinson notes that consumers have updated their definition of battery performance and expect much more than one long-lasting power source. The environmental impact of the batteries became one important criteria for customers, according to Energizer.
"Energizer Recharge is the latest example of how we innovate with the consumer in-mind," Atkinson says.
Studies show that consumers manifest a friendly and even enthusiastic attitude towards Energizer's efforts of going green.
In February 2016, Energizer EcoAdvanced received the Product of the Year award at the Sustainability category in the United States. Market research firm TNS was in charge of the survey, which asked more than 40,000 consumers to perfectly gauge the product that deserves the award.
The American public was not the only one to commend the company's high-performance batteries based on recycled cells. In the United Kingdom, the EcoAdvanced batteries snatched the Product of the Year title in the category Technology and Accessories.
Before it focused on creating rechargeable batteries that contain recyclable cells, Energizer established itself as an innovative enterprise.
The company was the first to manufacture AA lithium batteries, the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. It also made possible the first dry cell battery worldwide, and not least, the first watch battery in the world.
Meanwhile, researchers are investigating new ways to tap into the full potential of lithium-ion batteries, and X-ray imaging seems to be a good lead.
