Sony Mercury-Free Micro Battery Range : make a choice for the environment because times are changing

Sony launched the world’s first mercury-free silver oxide battery in 2005. Since then, it has expanded its range of batteries made without this potentially dangerous pollutant as part of an ongoing commitment to responsible manufacturing. 

This year, that commitment has led to the announcement of a completed line-up of 34 mercury-free silver oxide batteries. 

Earlier in 2010, Sony became one of the first manufacturers worldwide to introduce a mercury-free mini alkaline battery. 

While silver oxide batteries are ideally suited for use in watches, mini alkaline batteries are perfect for a wide range of applications from toys and calculators to portable radios, without any compromise in performance and safety.

Thanks to Sony innovation, a huge number of devices can now be powered by batteries that do not contain mercury. Significant reduction of mercury release into the environment from many millions of spent batteries will follow.

These mercury-free technologies are complemented by a third which does not and never did use mercury: the Sony lithium manganese battery. Widely used in keyless car entry systems, watches, clocks and cameras, this third battery type completes the Sony micro battery range. 

With a family of three different mercury-free battery technologies to choose from, customers can now opt for a Sony micro battery ideally suited to almost any requirement. 

“Sony believes that it has a part to play in building a greener world, which is why we invested in innovative technologies that would benefit the environment and our consumers,” says Mr. Masaya Morio, Energy & Retail AV Media General Manager , Media & Peripherals Europe, Sony France. “The 0% Mercury Mini Alkaline battery is environmentally friendly to produce and use, without diminishing performance. The invention of 0% Mercury Mini Alkaline battery now completes Sony’s 0% Mercury micro battery line-up of Mini Alkaline, Silver Oxide and Mini Lithium batteries*.”

The potential positive environmental impact of Sony mercury-free battery technology becomes clear when some of the numbers involved are considered:

• Sony sells approximately 400 million silver oxide and mini alkaline batteries every year. 

• Introducing mercury-free products will reduce the annual usage of mercury by 470 kilograms.

• Just 1 gram of mercury is enough to pollute 400 litres of water.

There is a worldwide trend towards banning the use of mercury in batteries, with powerful legislative bodies including the European Union already imposing stringent restrictions on the amount that can be used.

Sony is proud to have gone further and faster that anyone else in the search for environmentally responsible battery technologies.