Two million people in the UK have hearing instruments to address hearing impairement1. Each week the user needs to replace the small cell battery to ensure that the hearing instrument is in working order and enhancing all the decibels of life. In a year, battery cell waste is the length of London to John O'Groats or the equivalent size of 8 centre courts at Wimbledon2.
To address the sustainable challenges of the future, Siemens Hearing Instruments has launched a 'Rechargeability Awareness' campaign to highlight the benefits of moving over to a rechargeable hearing instrument. This will reduce battery and packaging waste plus make life easier for the user.
Siemens has launched a hearing instrument 'Rechargeability Awareness' campaign to educate and inform consumers about how to reduce battery waste and gain user benefits.
Battery waste is considered hazardous due to the chemical ingredients within and needs to be disposed of safely and recycled, not popped in the kitchen bin to find its way into landfill. The packaging of battery packs also adds to ever increasing volumes of household waste. Weekly battery changes also represent dexterity and sight challenges for the over 65s, the predominant demographic wearing hearing instruments today. Manual handing of small, slippery battery cells can test the most patient individual with many rolling under furniture or falling down plugholes.
"Moving over to a rechargeable hearing instrument is a smart option for people that are waste conscious and want an easier time when it comes to replacing small batteries," states Wendy Davies, National Sales and Audiology Manager at Siemens Hearing Instruments. "A rechargeable hearing instrument can simply be put in its charging cradle overnight and be refuelled with energy for the next day giving confidence that its power won't cut out when you least expect it."
"By 2031, it is estimated that there will be 14.5 million people with hearing loss in the UK so unless we start changing people's hearing instrument use habits now, we'll be seeing an increase in battery disposal. Today's battery cell waste is already equivalent to the surface area of almost 8 tennis courts per year, this is already a substantial amount of hazardous rubbish," continues Wendy Davies. "The usability benefits of reducing weekly battery changes is also a plus for older generations - we've all heard stories of small parts being lost in long carpet pile, down plugholes or down the back of the sofa - by adapting the way we power our consumer health devices people can quickly gain the benefits without the fuss."
Siemens Hearing Instruments offer the largest range of rechargeable hearing instruments on the market today requiring only one battery change per year. Pure and Motion products are compatible with an eCharger to dock and charge the device. It also dries them and keeps them safe overnight extending the lifespan and care of the instrument.
For more information on the rechargeable hearing instrument options or to find a stockist please visit www.siemens.co.uk/hearing. Prices vary between stockists. For further information about Siemens visit the Siemens web channel on AudiologyOnline.
