Created in partnership with Duracell. File away this fact for your next trivia night: The average person uses about a dozen batteries a year. Depending on how many people share your home, that’s a lot of power (nearly 50 batteries annually for a family of four). Whether they’re juicing up leisure must-haves like remotes and kids’ toys or essential emergency tools like flashlights and smoke detectors, batteries keep us entertained and safe. This is perhaps never more true than during the holidays, when stocking up on quality, trusted batteries can save a holiday morning--not to mention save the kitchen from a smoked turkey meltdown. So while you’re getting ready for this festive season, use these hints to ensure every battery in your home lasts as long as possible, and to dispose of them properly when they need a change. Your holidays will go off without a hitch, and your family, not to mention the Earth, will thank you.
Use the Right Kind of Batteries
This may seem obvious, but take an inventory of the devices you use most often so you can select the appropriate battery type (i.e. AA, AAA, 9V), and install them properly (pay attention to those + and - signs!). The right brand will also ensure the greatest longevity, which means choosing Duracell. This is the easy part: Coppertops are the most trusted and long-lasting batteries out there.
Don’t Store Batteries in the Refrigerator
Yes, batteries need to be kept in a cool, dry place for durability and safety. But as long as you keep them in their original packaging (so their contacts don’t touch each other), a kitchen drawer will do--there’s no need to stick them in the fridge. Doing so won’t prolong their life or recharge them once it’s time to say goodbye. Duracell batteries, with Power Preserve Technology, are guaranteed to last five years in a drawer and still work beautifully when you need them most. Presto: More room for your holiday roast.
Replace All the Batteries in a Device at Once
Swapping in just one new battery at a time can seem tempting, but don’t. Your remote may resume flipping channels with one dead battery, but it may fizzle out again before the end of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and that would be a shame. Plus, who can remember which one was already kaput when it’s time to pry open the casing next time around? Mixing different brands of batteries in the same device can also lead to leakage, so be consistent.
Remove Batteries From Your Devices When They’re Not in Regular Use
For household items you only use occasionally, or stow away for much of the year (like the remotes for those flameless candles or other holiday decorations), remove the batteries in the off season. Some devices may continue to draw power from batteries even while they’re in hibernation, decreasing their lifespan. Label the retrieved batteries with name of the product they power, to store with the rest of your stockpile, and put them back in their original packaging.
Dispose of Batteries Properly
Rather than simply tossing your spent batteries in the trash, do future generations a favor by recycling them. Duracell partners with Call2Recycle to make that easy. Through the program, you can drop off your used single-use, rechargeable and even cell-phone batteries at thousands of locations, like Lowe’s, The Home Depot and Staples. Instead of ending up in a landfill, the nickel in your rechargeable batteries will be used as utensils, pots and pans, even golf clubs. It may also be used to make new batteries. The alkaline in your single use alkaline batteries will be used to make products like sunscreen and even asphalt for roads. And don’t forget about the packaging; Duracell’s plastic housing and cardboard backing are both partly made from recycled material and should also be recycled--helpful to remember when cleaning up the remnants of the holiday gift exchange, and the rest of the year, too.
Power your holidays! Stock up on the trusted batteries you need for the season.
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