Hearing aid specialists may not realize it but they’re in a great position to help the planet stay green. Not only is it good public relations, it’s good for the environment – good for all of us today and in the future.
So what can you do? Here are some suggestions.
1. Use mercury-free batteries. Mercury is a heavy metal that is highly toxic to humans. And many hearing aid batteries contain mercury as part of the power-generation process, converting chemical energy into electrical energy. That’s how all batteries work.
Now, a hearing aid battery is small and so, it contains a small amount of mercury. No big deal, right? But imagine millions of these tiny batteries being tossed in the trash and hauled off to the compactor.
Over time, the battery casing will erode, releasing that tiny drop of mercury. Gravity does the rest, drawing the liquid metal downward until it eventually seeps into the aquifer below the landfill, and the source of drinking water for millions of people. It may take decades. Even longer. But eventually, that mercury will work its way into the water supply.
Many battery manufacturers are now making mercury free batteries. Since you, the hearing aid professional, go through dozens of batteries, go mercury free and help save the planet for future generations.