One of our big goals as a battery company is to help decrease the number of disposable alkalines that consumers buy and dispose of every year. We strive to achieve that goal by offering a better lithium-ion battery; a USB rechargeable battery that is as convenient to use and every bit as powerful. We consider doing so part of our focus on environmental responsibility.
What is environmental responsibility, exactly? That depends on who you ask. From our point of view, it is the responsibility that we all have to take care of the world around us. Individuals have a personal responsibility. Companies have a corporate responsibility. Essentially, every person and organization on the planet shares in the responsibility for taking care of it as best we can.
Curbing the amount of resources spent and wasted on batteries is a big part of that responsibility for us. When we started Paleblue, it was with the cringe-worthy understanding that ten million alkaline batteries are disposed of every single day in the USA along. Billions are produced worldwide and most are not recycled. That is a lot of batteries destined to eventually wind up in landfills or incinerators. We just don't think that producing and using alkaline batteries demonstrates a high level of environmental responsibility.
The dictionary definition of 'responsibility' implies duty. It implies an obligation with moral, ethical, or legal accountability. If you own a home, you have a responsibility to pay your mortgage. Simply put, you are legally required to pay what you borrowed. You are held accountable by a lien on your house, a lien that could result in your home being foreclosed on should you not make your payments.
The difficulty with environmental responsibility is that we don't always see the accountability aspect. Protecting the planet isn't like paying a mortgage. No one is going to repossess the Earth and kick us out if we do not take care of it. Yet that does not mean that there aren't consequences for not being responsible. The consequences are very real.
A lack of environmental responsibility leads to dirty water and air. It leads to a depletion of resources, the destruction of wildlife habitats, loss of species, health impacts on all creatures, and more. Collectively, we cannot afford to be irresponsible with the planet we have been given. We are harming future generations when we do that.
Considering the consequences of being environmentally irresponsible, it may seem like your choice of batteries doesn't make a substantial difference. But with something as big as our planet, there is no single action that will save it. Protecting the environment is a collective effort to which we all contribute.
Your choice of batteries is just one small part of a much larger equation. As a company, we are doing our part by producing USB rechargeable batteries capable of replacing thousands of alkaline cells. We are encouraging people to buy rechargeables instead of disposable batteries. And, through our membership in 1% for the Planet, a portion of our revenue goes toward organizations working to protect the environment.
As a consumer, the most important thing you should know is that one of our USB rechargeable cells can be charged 1000+ times. That means every Paleblue Earth battery you buy represents a potential 999 disposable alkaline batteries that will hopefully not end up in a landfill.
The idea of environmental responsibility implies that we all have a role to play. We hope you will play yours by making good battery choices. But don't stop there. Simple things like avoiding single-use plastics and burning less gasoline go a long way toward protecting our planet. Educating ourselves and always looking for better options will add up if we think globally and long term. We look forward to tackling these problems every day despite how monumental they appear to be.
