The assessment was to look at the effects at each stage in the life cycle of a battery, from raw materials through manufacture to disposal.
Energizer was seeking to gain a better understanding of which of its batteries was best for the environment. An encapsulated summary of the findings is that, over a five-year period, normal household battery usage in a device, regardless of which type, will typically affect the environment less than you would by driving eight kilometres in a car. The LCA adds the proviso that the precise effects will vary depending on the application and battery type, but the average is a fair assessment. When used in low-, moderate- and high-drain electronic devices, no single battery type has the lowest impact on the environment across environmental categories. Each battery's chemistry offers environmental benefits but suffers from shortcomings.
ERM's LCA accounted for all the steps in the production, transportation, use and end-of-life management of Energizer's products. ERM was remarkably thorough, looking at Energizer's various battery types, the various devices found in a home (some of which drain batteries slowly, others quickly), and the effect of the batteries on seven environmental categories; for example, greenhouse-gas emission and ozone-layer depletion.
To help consumers make better environmental decisions when purchasing batteries for their portable devices, Energizer will continue to educate them in the benefits of using the right battery in the right device. For instance, Energizer Max batteries are best used in low-drain devices, such as remotes, toys and flashlights. Energizer Advanced are best suited to moderate-drain devices such as electronic games, personal speakers and wireless keyboards. Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries are advised for high-drain devices like digital cameras, wireless mice, GPS devices, and gaming controllers. Energizer Rechargeable are best used for long lasting re-usable power in high-drain devices such as toys, digital cameras and wireless mice.
The LCA also revealed that the majority of Energizer's impact on the environment comes from the extraction of raw materials and the production of batteries. Those activities account for 78% of the company's greenhouse emissions. The rest of the impact is 3% from transportation, 9% from consumer usage and 10% from disposal.
