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The battery industry has a record of using technological innovation to reduce the environmental impact of batteries. It voluntarily eliminated mercury, which had been used as an additive to reduce gassing and leakage, from standard size alkaline and carbon zinc batteries in the 1990s. At that time, the technology was not available to do the same for smaller button cell batteries, which are predominantly used in watches and hearing aids. Thus button cells are the only batteries that continue to contain small amounts of mercury.

In order to achieve its goal of eliminating mercury from button cells, the industry will continue to advance emerging technologies. Manufacturers will also dedicate resources to solving technological and manufacturing challenges that exist today. “By making this commitment, the U.S. battery industry demonstrates once again its leadership in product stewardship,” says Evan Gaddis, NEMA president and chief executive officer. “Their voluntary efforts over the years have contributed a great deal toward reducing the amount of mercury released into the environment.”

For the past two decades, the battery industry has been working diligently to solve the technological challenges of eliminating mercury from all types of batteries. The industry has made substantial progress during this period, achieving the following milestones:

• Manufacturers discontinued production of mercuric oxide batteries and replaced them with new and improved battery systems containing far less mercury.
• By the early part of this decade, the industry had lowered the amount of mercury in button cells to quantities well below historical levels and those sanctioned by federal laws. The 1996 Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act restricts the addition of mercury to a maximum of 25 mg per button cell. By 2002, the industry average was less than half of this value.

These significant achievements represent a major investment and commitment to improved environmental performance, while at the same time delivering better overall battery performance to consumers in terms of shelf life, safety, and hours of operation.

Members of the Dry Battery Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, a trade association of electrical manufacturers, include dry cell battery manufacturers Duracell Inc., Eastman Kodak Company, Energizer Holdings, Inc., Panasonic Battery Corporation of America, Rayovac Corporation, Renata SA, Saft America, Inc., and Wilson Greatbatch, Ltd.

NEMA is the leading trade association in the United States representing the interests of electroindustry manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its 430 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. Domestic shipments of electrical products within the NEMA scope exceed $100 billion.

Press/Public Relations Contacts:
NEMA Communications Department
Email: communications@nema.org
Phone: (703) 841-3286
Fax: (703) 841-3386