Home News Eco Tech 189 million batteries are used over Christmas

189 million batteries are used over Christmas

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With many toys and electronic devices given as presents requiring batteries, around 30% of all battery purchases are made in the run-up to Christmas and around 189 million batteries are used over the festive period.

But with 600 million batteries thrown away and sent to landfill in the UK every year, leading rechargeable battery brand, GP Batteries is urging consumers to make the effort to recycle unwanted batteries after Christmas and make switching to more environmentally-friendly rechargeable ones in 2019 their New Year’s resolution.

“Christmas is a great time to celebrate with loved ones, but it can also be a time for excess and a lot of waste,” says James Tuck, Marketing Manager for GP Batteries UK.
A OnePoll.com research of 2000 adults showed that in addition to the hundreds of millions of batteries used over the festive period, Brits throw away the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper and 54 million platefuls of food.

“The welfare of the planet and our impact on the environment has been a hot topic this year, and we are now starting to see some significant changes in manufacturer and consumer behaviour, especially in relation to things like plastic waste”, James continued.

“When batteries end up in landfill, they can take 100 years to decompose and, in some cases, heavy metals in them can turn toxic and seep into the environment. By being more mindful we can avoid having the same environmental impact as in previous years. Christmas is about giving, so this year why not do your bit to give back to the planet by recycling your unwanted batteries and make switching to rechargeable ones your New Year’s resolution for 2019?”

Switching to more eco-friendly rechargeable batteries will significantly reduce the environmental damage generated by discarded disposable batteries. GP’s ReCyko+ Pro can be recharged up to 1500 times; meaning for each battery used, 1,500 less single-use disposable batteries will have to be used and recycled or sent to landfill. The batteries, which can last for years not only help to save the environment but can also save consumers money in the long term.

Recycling batteries are easier than ever before, all major supermarkets and most retailers will have battery recycling points, additionally, they can be recycled at your local recycling centre and some local councils will even collect batteries at curbside.