All non-rechargeable alkaline batteries will be removed from the global home furnishing range of Ikea stores by October 2021.
Several current comparative Life Cycle Assessment studies show that the environmental impact of alkaline batteries is higher compared to rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH) when used in common household devices that have a high energy consumption and are therefore charged on a regular basis – such as toys, flashlights, portable speakers or cameras.
Already after 10 charges of a rechargeable NiMH battery, such as the LADDA range sold in Ikea stores, greenhouse gas emissions are lower as compared to using alkaline batteries to obtain the same amount of energy.
When about 50 charges are reached, the overall environmental impact of NiMH batteries is equal or even less than the impact of using alkaline batteries.
Ikea sold about 300 million alkaline batteries globally last year
Calculations indicate that if – hypothetically – all Ikea customers switched from ALKALISK alkaline batteries to LADDA rechargeable batteries, used them for high-drain devices and charged them just 50 times the global waste reduction would be as much as 5,000 tons on an annual basis.
As one LADDA battery can be charged up to 500 times, the potential to reduce additional waste exists.
