Reach for a rechargeable
Date: 15-Mar-10
Author: Michelle Cook
In 2009 Australians spent more than $350 million on single use batteries.
"Reaching for a rechargeable battery and charger pack rather than single use batteries is the best way to counteract this cost," says Planet Ark spokesperson Rebecca Gilling. "Given they can be recharged up to 1,000 times and it only takes about 15 charges to recoup the cost, they're certainly a worthwhile investment."
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2004 Australians imported 267 million single-use batteries and 50 million rechargeable batteries. This equates to an annual waste of about 8,000 tonnes, making batteries the most common form of hazardous waste disposed of by Australian households.
"Australians are among the fastest adopters of new technology in the world which has seen electronic waste, or ‘e-waste', become one of the fastest growing waste types," says Gilling. "With the average house having at least six uses for batteries, making the switch to rechargeable batteries not only saves households money, it greatly reduces their impact on the planet."
Rechargeable batteries have up to 32 times less impact on the environment than disposable batteries. According to the CSIRO, each rechargeable battery used in place of a single use battery saves 100kg of CO2 equivalent.
As an incentive for Australians to help the environment even more, Varta will donate 20% of the purchase price on any Varta rechargeable battery product to Planet Ark between the 15th of March and the 9th of April 2010. Participating retailers include Coles, Woolworths, Big W, Dick Smith and Bunnings Warehouse.
To find out where to recycle your batteries visit http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/ or call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712
