TODAY, THE POLLUTION CAUSED BY BATTERIES IS ONE OF THE MOST PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE DISPOSAL. They contain a number of heavy metals (Aluminium - Cadmium - Mercury - Nickel - Lead - Iron - Zinc - Calcium - Magnesium - Lithium), some of which are highly toxic for humans, animals and plants. They pollute the soil and poison ground water. To avoid this, it is important to dispose of them in specially provided recycling containers. Using rechargeable batteries is also a viable environmental alternative to disposable batteries, as they can be recharged up to 1000 times and are much more powerful. Opting for rechargeable batteries and recycling them at the end of their life is a simple step that all eco-citizens can take to preserve the quality of our environment. The differences between disposable batteries and rechargeables There are two types of batteries: - Those that are used once and then thrown away, also called disposable or primary batteries (alkaline, saline, lithium...). - Those that can be recharged, commonly known as rechargeables. Rechargeables are sometimes referred to as secondary cells.

THE GUIDE TO RECHARGEABLE ENERGY Uniross actively encourages sustainable development and has set up 'The guide to rechargeable energy' which can be downloaded free on our website. Start thinking about our future, use rechargeable batteries and chargers to protect our environment! To download the guide to rechargeable energy in pdf click here

WWF & UNIROSS : A LICENCING PARTNERSHIP Rechargeable batteries, a simple and economic gesture for the environment Paris - May 30, 2006 - Uniross, the European leader in rechargeable batteries and WWF the global conservation organization, have announced today a licensing partnership for a period of 3 years. This European partnership will extend across 40 countries and will allow for the creation of a series of initiatives to raise public awareness about: - The ecological advantage of rechargeable Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries and chargers. - The environmental importance of collecting and recycling old batteries. Uniross has committed to fund WWF to promote several mutually relevant environmental initiatives around the theme of sustainable consumption. As part of the licensing agreement Uniross will launch a range of rechargeable batteries and chargers carrying the WWF logo. The use of rechargeable batteries considerably reduces the impact on the environment compared to single use, disposable batteries. In fact, the use of one rechargeable battery in some applications can replace the use of up to 1000 disposable batteries. Therefore using rechargeable batteries significantly reduces the consumption of raw materials, and the quantity of batteries to collect and recycle.

QUIZ : 5 questions to test your knowledge of rechargeable batteries and the environment   How many times can I charge a rechargeable battery? - 50 times - 500 times - 1000 times Answer : A rechargeable battery can be charged up to 1000 times and could reduce the volume of waste batteries by 1000 times!   If I buy a charger kit + 4 rechargeable batteries and charge my batteries 500 times, how much will I save: - more than 500 euros - more than 1000 euros - more than 1500 euros Answer : : A blister of 4 AA disposable batteries currently costs around 4 €. A basic rechargeable pack comprising a standard charger and 4 AA rechargeable batteries currently costs around 15 €. It's a very simple calculation: even if you only recharge your rechargeable batteries 500 times ... you have already saved 1985 €!   In a digital camera, a battery will last : - As long as an alkaline battery - 2 times longer than an alkaline battery - 10 times longer than an alkaline battery Answer : A fully recharged battery lasts ten times longer than an alkaline battery in high-energy-use electronic and digital devices such as digital cameras.   In an average home, how many appliances run on batteries? - 5 devices - 15 devices - 25 devices Answer : The average home has 25 battery appliances. This represents dozens of batteries that are regularly changed and thrown away.   How many batteries are sold in Europe per year? - 50 millions batteries - 1 billions batteries - 5 billions batteries Answer : Every year, 5 billions batteries are sold in Europe and under 30% of these batteries are currently recycled!