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A new life for used batteries
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Recycling of old batteries is a pressing issue for all countries. During the recycling of used batteries, the internal material of the battery is extracted and partially used in a new product. But in the end, new products with the original efficiency are not obtained.
But experts decided to correct this situation and the Energizer company developed a new type of batteries that are produced from used ones.
The new batteries are made from only 4% used alkaline batteries, but that's a lot more than was used before.
A group of Energizer employees visited a battery recycling plant a few years ago and noticed that a whole bunch of recycled material from old batteries was being used to make road surfaces, paints, etc. At the time, it was thought that old batteries could not be reused to make high-performance batteries. According to Michel Atkinson, the company's chief marketing officer, the team believed that there had to be a way to "close the loop" and make high-performance batteries from recycled material.
Energizer specialists have developed a method in which zinc or manganese removed from old batteries is processed into active components that can then be used to produce new batteries.
Today, the main problem with alkaline batteries is that their components are destructive to the environment. But, according to Atkinson, the company's specialists have managed to ensure that much less material that negatively affects the environment is used in the production of batteries.
The new technology proposed by the experts processes and transforms the spent components of batteries in such a way that the output is an active, highly efficient component. The resulting components are used together with others that are necessary for the production of batteries, but the result is a battery that lasts much longer than a regular alkaline battery, and in addition, less raw material is required during its production, due to which, during the production process, a significant reduction in the negative impact on the environment is noted.
The new EcoAdvanced line of batteries can be stored for up to 12 years.
The price of such a battery will be approximately 30% higher than a regular one, but this is due to the fact that EcoAdvanc batteries last longer.
Energizer plans to expand its program for recycling old batteries. Experts noted that other types of batteries will also be used, and the amount of recycled material in each battery is planned to increase to 40%.
Some experts believe that this strategy of the company is connected with the desire to return to the market with the help of the eco-movement that has become so popular in recent years. While competitors are gradually moving away from the sensational brands, the Energizer company is betting on ecology.