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A new study shows that rechargeable batteries have 32 times less impact on the environment than disposable alternatives, and use 23 times less natural resources. As well as these savings, there is a large reduction in water pollution and landfill waste, as less material gets thrown away, says Uniross who conducted the study.
The average household uses 21 batteries per year, and around 99 per cent of these end up in going straight to landfill sites at the end of their useful life.
"In the UK, 660 million batteries are bought each year. 95 per cent of these are disposable -- cumulatively that's an enormous amount of batteries heading straight to landfill, releasing damaging chemicals into the environment. It's wasteful and it's unnecessary," says Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF-UK.
"The average person in the UK is living as though we have three planets' worth of resources at our disposal, which is totally unsustainable. Rechargeable batteries are an easy environmental win -- they have 28 times less potential impact on climate change than disposable batteries, and while using them won't reduce your standard of living, it will hugely reduce your impact on the planet," says Butfield.
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