Ikea, which sold 300 million alkaline batteries last year, will stop offering them in 2021

[Matrix]

The big picture: After just 10 charges of a rechargeable NiMH battery, greenhouse gas emissions are lower versus using alkaline batteries that give off the same amount of energy. Ikea said. Hypothetically, if all Ikea customers switched from alkaline batteries to rechargeables and used them for 50 cycles, global waste would drop by as much as 5,000 tons annually, we’re told.

Swedish furniture maker Ikea this week announced plans to discontinue distribution of all non-rechargeable alkaline batteries by October 2021.

 

Ikea sold around 300 million alkaline batteries last year under the Alkalisk name. By phasing out alkaline batteries and focusing on rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, the company can offer customers “an affordable and convenient solution to prolong the life of products and materials, and reduce waste,” said Caroline Reid, sustainability development manager at Ikea.

 

 

Ikea sells its own line of rechargeable AA batteries. A pack of four AA Ladda batteries will set you back $6.99 while a four-slot charger commands for $8.99. According to Ikea, a single Ladda battery can be recharged up to 500 times.

 

Worth pointing out is the fact that Ikea’s button-style lithium-ion batteries will persist as some of the company’s products still rely on these types of batteries to function.

 

What is your stance on rechargeable NiMH batteries? I know people that swear by them and others that insist on a cheap pack of disposable alkalines every time.

 

Source

[Mutton]

I think it's a little short sighted to just stop selling alkaline cells. As at least one commenter in the source points out, there are common uses where alkaline is better and NiMH will be killed in one cycle in the same application. Clocks and remote controls are the classic examples. NiMH has much lower ultimate capacity than alkaline in lower drain applications, and long, slow discharge isn't good for NiMH longevity. It kills them dead.

 

Standard NiMH die too quickly if not cared for. I have three battery tools (drill etc) which are useless because the cells are dead, with nowhere near 50 charge cycles, and it's cheaper to buy a new, cheap drill and bin the old one (more waste) than replacement batteries. (I don't DIY much, lol). Low self discharge types like the Eneloops I use are much better in this regard, but most people don't use them because of the up-front cost. I doubt I am alone in having had a lot of (standard) NiMH not reach even 50 cycles because of intermittent use.

 

A box of alkaline cells (with their ten year shelf life) is a very good emergency standby, at a tiny fraction of what a box of Eneloops cost (50 alks = 4 Eneloops). Given that they would be needed in a power outage, rechargeable or not is irrelevant.

 

Perhaps it would be better to make good rechargeable cells cheaper, to encourage their use. The cynical side of me wonders if some statistician at Ikea has worked out that they'll make more profit from selling fewer NiMH cells than a lot of alkaline. It's a common issue: fewer, more profitable sales (with subsequently lower overheads like transport and storage) vs. low value, high quantity. Then tell people "it's for your benefit."

[mp68terr]

Ikea is not alone in this market. Let's see if some others follow, or not.

Usually replace all standard batteries by rechargeable ones, did not know that a slow discharge is killing NiMH cells. Never counted how many cycles rechargeable cells can do here, on the other hand I always use an old 'smart' charger that is supposed to take care of them.

[Mutton]

Yes, NiMH chemistry doesn't respond well to slow discharge, especially if allowed to go very low (like the clock just stops working). I used to know exactly why (being an electronics and chemistry geek, lol) but I can't recall right now.

 

Remote controls aren't the best example though, in retrospect, as long as they are in regular use. I use Eneloop rechargeables in them but make sure not to let them just stop working before recharging.

 

Also not commonly known is that NiMH chemistry doesn't like to be trickle charged. That too reduces the life span of them. Old fashioned NiCd were much better for that but designers keep doing it with NiMH (because it's cheap to do). My Pi UPS is designed to recharge periodically at a decent rate, instead of trickle charging, to look after the Eneloops.

 

Back in the day I built a simple charger that would recharge ZnC, ZnCl and alkaline for my bicycle lights. Could get ten 'cycles' out of them .

[mp68terr]

7 minutes ago, Mutton said:

I used to know exactly why (being an electronics and chemistry geek, lol) but I can't recall right now.

Take your time 😉

Users replacing non-rechargeable batteries for rechargeable ones, even for non-demanding devices, are common.

My main usage was inside flashes, but also put some in devices that are not often used and that are not requiring much energy. Maybe a waste.