How batteries are going green: Batteries category report 2023

Batteries are under fire. That’s because they keep causing fires – on rubbish trucks and in waste facilities up and down the country.

Leading by example

So brands are working to make that information more widespread. Duracell is looking to “lead by example” says the company’s sustainability manager Gavin Cunningham.

“We’ve added a ‘battery recycling finder’ to our website, making it easy for consumers to find the nearest place,” he points out. “We have also created a partnership with Google and large retailers to maximise the visibility of stores offering drop-off points when a shopper searches for ‘battery recycling’ using the Google platform. That’s added over 5,000 sites in the UK.”

Cunningham admits shoppers can struggle to find bins in stores. To tackle this, Duracell is working with retail partners “to increase visibility of the collection drums” he adds.

In recent years, the leading battery brand has gone one step further with its Big Battery Hunt initiative. It gives out educational resources – fronted by the Duracell bunny – to primary schools across the UK. These not only cover the environment impact of improper disposal, but run collection competitions with prizes up for grabs. In the four years of the programme, thousands of schools have recycled over 17 million batteries.

“Most supermarkets, DIY shops or anywhere that sells batteries have recycling points”

“We encourage children, who tend to be the main consumers of batteries within households, to recycle used batteries at their local retailers,” Cunningham says.

These sustainable efforts don’t stop at the disposal of batteries, though. Brands are also working to minimise the environmental impact of their packaging. Duracell, for instance, now uses up to 98% recycled cardboard in its packs – and is looking into stretch wrap using recycled material.

Energizer, meanwhile, has transitioned to more environmentally friendly inks and coatings for packaging “to improve recyclability”. The paperboard in its packs also includes up to 50% recycled material.

The UK’s largest distributor of batteries, Supreme – responsible for over 30% of the market – told The Grocer it was “delighted to confirm that almost all the batteries it sells come in plastic-free packaging and include recycled materials”.

Another way battery brands are doing their bit for the planet is to promote the reuse of products – specifically rechargeables.

Supreme, which distributes brands including Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic and JCB, points to its planned marketing campaign this Christmas. This will be “focused on rechargeable batteries to ensure its trade and retail customers continue to be informed of the environmental and cost benefits” says CEO Sandy Chadha.

Given around 40% of Supreme’s total battery sales are generated between October and December, it could have significant impact. And potentially boost the rechargeables market, which has long been in decline.

But there is nuance in the argument that rechargeable lines are better for the environment. “They’ve been described as being a more sustainable alternatives to primary cells,” says Cunningham. “They would supposedly require less energy and produce less waste, are less expensive and more state-of-the-art. However, such conclusions are not universally applicable or simply not true.”

It very much depends on what they are used for, he says. For high-powered devices like computer console controllers, they make sense. “However, more than half of all battery-powered devices in households require medium to lower power. For those appliances, primary batteries have a better economic and ecological performance,” he stresses. It also matters where the electricity to recharge the batteries is sourced: from renewable or fossil fuels.

Cunningham says shoppers often don’t see the value in rechargeables. “Gamers are the exception to the rule, especially Xbox users. This is something that we communicate at shelf in stores such as Sainsbury’s with point-of-sale material,” he says.

Clearly there is some debate on what it means to be sustainable. But whatever route brands take, environmental cues make business sense. In its latest financial results, Energizer concedes “increased focus… on sustainability issues may have an adverse effect on our business”.

And the last thing batteries brands want is for growing sustainability concerns to sap their power.