Better for the Planet
ZPower was awarded the AlwaysOn GoingGreen 100 Award in 2007 for energy storage. The company was honored because 95% of the key elements in ZPower batteries can be recycled and reused. ZPower is also taking a leading role in providing financial incentives to consumers who recycle. Additionally, ZPower batteries are mercury-free.
Comparison to Lithium-Ion Batteries
Recycling versus Downcycling
The primary materials of ZPower batteries (i.e. silver and zinc) are fully recyclable. That means that the materials derived from recycling process are of the same quality as the materials that went into the initial creation of the battery. This reduces the need to mine for new materials and minimizes the removal of silver and zinc from the earth’s crust. In general, recycling requires only 20% of the energy needed for mining and allows the battery to be a long term sustainable technology.
In contrast, the majority of the elements of traditional lithium-ion batteries are downcycled and cannot be reused. The downcycling process reduces the original battery into raw materials of lower quality which can’t be reused for battery production. Additional lithium must be mined from the environment before another battery can be produced.
A Proven Process
The silver recycling process already exists. Over the centuries, refiners perfected the processes for jewelry, tableware, photographic film, and electronics. Additionally, silver obtained from scrap makes up over 30% of the silver that is needed each year to satisfy world demand.
Recycling Rewards
ZPower is the first rechargeable battery company in the portable electronics segment to offer financial incentives to consumers who recycle. ZPower will make it easy for consumers to return their used batteries to ZPower in exchange for a credit towards the purchase of a new silver-zinc battery. This innovative approach to battery recycling for mobile electronics will be introduced in early 2009 when ZPower batteries are launched with a leading notebook computer.