However, the test also found that not all dollar storage batteries are created equal and some types of batteries did not perform well, with experts warning that they should be avoided despite their low cost.

Watch the full Marketplace survey on Friday at 8 p.m. at CBC and CBC Gem.

Marketplace, in collaboration with researchers from Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, OD, tested 240 dual-use batteries from six brands. The brands tested were Energizer, Duracell, Canadian Tire’s Noma, Walmart’s Great Value, E-Circuit from Dollar Tree, and Panasonic batteries from both Dollarama and Dollar Tree. In the tests, which simulated different levels of energy drainage, Energizer and Duracell lasted the longest. But it was E-Circuit alkaline, a brand that was introduced and sold on the Dollar Tree, that faced the most well-known brands, which lasted almost as long and cost only $ 1.25 for a pack of four. The researchers used different drainage scenarios – low, medium and high – to simulate the actual uses. They said low-level drainage is similar to the constant use of a computer mouse or a TV remote control. Medium drainage is similar to the continuous use of a remote controlled toy or game controller, while high drainage is like a high power lens. Ontario Tech Assistant Professor of Engineering Xianke Lin, who oversaw the test, noted that the results, while surprising, should not be used as proxies for all battery performance because the test could not perfectly simulate how it was used. of batteries in real life. However, the value of the E-Circuit comes into focus when comparing price per battery and capacity. Based on the money paid by Marketplace, the average price per E-Circuit alkaline battery was just 31 cents. “Usually people think it’s cheap and should not have the best value, but [E-Circuit alkaline] “It turns out to be the best capacity per dollar you spend,” said Lin, of the Ontario Tech School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The E-Circuit’s hyper-alkaline battery performed even better overall, albeit at a higher price. Panasonic Alkaline Plus batteries purchased from Dollarama and Dollar Tree also performed well in all three drainage simulation tests. Assistant Professor Xianke Lin of Ontario Tech University holds two of the cells tested. (Steven D’Souza / CBC)

Batteries to avoid

While dollar store alkaline batteries offered surprises, another type sold in these stores, zinc carbon (or zinc carbon) did not do well in testing. These dual A carbon zinc batteries are recommended for low drain devices and are a common feature in dollar stores. In a simulation test of continuous use of low drainage devices, the E-Circuit and Panasonic zinc carbon batteries lasted six hours and 55 minutes and seven hours and 45 minutes, respectively, while the alkalis of the other brands lasted more than 20 hours. . Although Panasonic’s E-Circuit and zinc carbon are described as “Super Heavy Duty”, they were anything but, according to experts. “It’s incredibly confusing,” said Columbia University associate professor of engineering Dan Stingart, who studies the capacity and energy efficiency of disposable batteries. “The terminology around this term dates back to the seventies and it worked. I remember my grandfather saying, ‘You know, make sure you buy super heavy duty as opposed to light duty, right?’ “The whole generation of battery consumers has been significantly affected.” No Need to Sell a Zinc Coal System in 2022.- Dan Steingart, Columbia University
Also known as dry cells, “ultra-heavy” zinc carbon batteries are based on an old technology from in the 19th centuryand is usually marketed as an economical option for use in low drain appliances such as TV remote controls or wall clocks. Steingart, who has done tests similar to those in the Marketplace, said: “I could not find a single use case where zinc carbon surpassed alkaline cells in any way … There is no reason to sell a zinc carbon system in 2022 . “ Although batteries are only recommended for some low-energy devices, many Canadians have told the Marketplace that they do not notice these suggestions in their battery packs. Given their potential use in other devices, the researchers also tested zinc carbon batteries in simulated high-drain tests. University of Ontario Tech researcher Jonathan Couture, with a Panasonic carbon double zinc battery, performed poorly in the tests. The company recommends them for low drainage devices. (Steven D’Souza / CBC)
The Panasonic and E-Circuit zinc carbon batteries lasted just under seven minutes in high-performance conditions, while all alkaline batteries lasted about an hour. “Zinc carbon cells are almost inactive and should no longer be manufactured or sold,” Steingart said. Experts say the key is to look for alkaline batteries in dollar stores and avoid the cheapest zinc carbon batteries. Panasonic told Marketplace that its zinc carbon batteries can last up to a year in low-drain appliances and that it is working with stores to educate consumers about their use. “Zinc carbon batteries are an established technology and when used properly on recommended devices, they provide excellent performance and value,” Panasonic said in a statement, adding that consumers should be aware that different batteries are better suited for certain devices. Dollar Tree, the importer of E-Circuit batteries, did not answer questions about zinc carbon batteries, but acknowledged that they are sold and their products as a whole meet the needs of its customers at low prices. Dollarama, which together with Dollar Tree carries Panasonic zinc carbon batteries, says it offers “a choice of Panasonic zinc and alkaline battery packs to our customers, giving them access to a range of options within our low fixed prices.” depending on their need “.

Consumers help pay for battery waste recycling – where does it go?

Double-A batteries are one of the most commonly used – and discarded – households in Canada. According to Call2Recycle, the non-profit organization that manages this type of waste, Canadians recycled 4.1 million kilograms of batteries in 2020. Consumers pay an ecological fee – sometimes called an environmental handling fee (EHF) – for batteries they buy in Ontario, Manitoba, BC, Quebec and Saskatchewan. While environmental charges for e-waste apply to electronics and televisions purchased in most Canadian provinces, not all The provinces have ecological charges for batteries ESPECIALLY. In Ontario, battery manufacturers and retailers are now responsible for recycling their used batteries, and this consumer charge can be added to the box office so that businesses can cover their own recycling costs. Marketplace paid about five cents for a battery for ecological charges in Ontario and $ 2.40 for a 48-cell package. Most of Ontario’s household batteries ended up at Ontario’s largest battery recycling plant, the Raw Materials Company (RMC), in Welland, Ont. The alkaline batteries purchased from Dollarama and Dollar Tree performed well in the Marketplace tests. (Steven D’Souza / CBC)
However, Marketplace has discovered that dead batteries collected for disposal in Ontario are no longer shipped there. Joe Zenobio, president of Call2Recycle, Canada’s largest battery collector and recycler, wrote that the group has terminated some non-compliance agreements regarding the collection of eligible batteries in Ontario. RMC told Marketplace that it has never been notified of a breach of regulations in its 35 years of operation and is fighting for the Call2Recycle decision. The Productivity and Resource Recovery Authority (RPRA), the regulatory authority for Ontario’s circular economy, confirmed in an email that Call2Recycle told the agency it intended to ship batteries to Michigan. Call2Recycle told Marketplace that it works with recycling companies in Michigan and Quebec, but did not say how many batteries go where and when.

Consumers do not have to pay ecological fees

Jo-Anne St. Godard, head of the Circular Innovation Council, a former Ontario Recycling Council and now a national defense team, said sending dead batteries out of the country for recycling was not ideal. Although it is difficult to measure transport emissions in relation to the benefits of recycling, he would prefer to see support for both local recycling solutions and the local economy. St. Godard said Ontario green taxes are not a tax and consumers are not obliged to pay them. “I think so [consumers] “They have to ask questions at the point of sale when they see that these charges apply and they definitely have to ask the government about where this money is going, how they are managing that money.” Phillip Robinson, spokesman for Provincial Environment Minister David Piccini, said in an email response: “Consumer protection law protects consumers from unfair practices, including the protection of consumers against false, misleading or misleading communications related to charges.” The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services said in an email that it is up to each company to decide whether to charge environmental charges for batteries or electronics and to determine the amount that should be the fee to recover their recycling costs and that a company can not falsify the purpose of a reward. Consumers who believe that the purpose of a fee is falsified should report it to the Ministry of Government and Consumer …