IKEA will take another step to inspire and enable people to live a healthier and more sustainable life at home by removing non-rechargeable alkaline batteries from its global range by October 2021. With this decision, IKEA hopes customers who use batteries frequently will make a switch to rechargeable solutions – saving money while also reducing waste with regular use over time.
“We are pleased to be phasing out ALKALISK alkaline batteries from the range globally and increasing the focus on our rechargeable batteries,” says Lars Svensson, the Sustainability Director for IKEA Southeast Asia & Mexico. “We hope this enables the many in Southeast Asia to opt for an affordable and convenient rechargeable battery, prolonging the life of products and materials while also reducing waste and saving money.’’
The IKEA range of LADDA batteries are rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH) that can be charged up to 500 times. Several current comparative Life Cycle Assessment studies show that rechargeable NiMH batteries have less environmental impact than alkaline batteries when used in high-energy-consuming devices that are charged on a regular basis such as toys, flashlights, portable speakers or cameras.
Already after 10 charges, a rechargeable NiHM battery such as the LADDA range sold in IKEA stores emits lower greenhouse gas than alkaline batteries do when obtaining the same amount of energy. After about 50 charges, the overall environmental impacts of NiMH batteries is equal or less than the impact of using alkaline batteries
“There are substantial savings to be made over time on the environment as well as our wallets – when we adopt new behaviours and use rechargeable batteries to their full potential, and this also helps reduce waste,” says Svensson.
Last year, IKEA sold about 300 million alkaline batteries globally and, within the nine IKEA stores operated in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, customers bought some 3.4 million packs of non-rechargeable ALKALISK batteries. Hypothetically, if all IKEA customers switched from ALKALISK alkaline batteries to LADDA rechargeable batteries for high-drain devices (and charged them just 50 times), together we would reduce global waste by as much as 5,000 tons a year.
ALKALISK batteries will be phased out over time, providing suppliers time to adjust and allowing IKEA retailers to sell current stocks. The phase out is to be completed worldwide by October 2021. At this point, the lithium ion button cell battery called PLATTBOJ will be kept in the range as some applications currently being sold by IKEA require a button cell battery to function.
