What type of battery should I buy?

You can buy AA and AAA lithium batteries (all the brands except Philips, Rayovac and Duracell) but you are most likely to see them as button or coin cells for things like watches. They are more expensive than alkaline batteries. Disposable zinc air batteries are a popular choice.

Are there Best Buys for batteries?

There are no Best Buys for batteries. We are only recommending rechargeable batteries because of the financial and environmental cost savings. Varta ’s Recharge Accu Recycled AA and AAA batteries have the highest level of recycled content, score joint highest on the table and are Nordic Swan-certified. Its other rechargeables score well too.

Are rechargeable batteries the future?

Other technologies such as metal-air batteries, solid-state batteries and the use of silicon are all vying to try and increase capacity, and also safety, while reducing production costs. For household batteries, the future is rechargeable batteries rather than single use disposables. Even the EU thinks so.

How can a battery be sourced locally and less destructive?

More abundant materials like sodium and sand are being looked at which can be sourced locally and less destructively. Other technologies such as metal-air batteries, solid-state batteries and the use of silicon are all vying to try and increase capacity, and also safety, while reducing production costs.

Are batteries perishable?

This does mean that people are forced to use rechargeables, but all batteries are perishable, and it can make the whole product die with the battery. Perhaps there will be a renaissance of wind-up and mechanical things where batteries or any sort of electric power is not needed.

Should we buy separate batteries?

However, we may not be buying separate batteries for that much longer, as more and more products are switching to inbuilt rechargeable batteries. This does mean that people are forced to use rechargeables, but all batteries are perishable, and it can make the whole product die with the battery.