Climate & Nature...

At last week's Consumer Electronics Show, Fuji announced a new line of disposable batteries that the company says are so eco-friendly, they are "landfill safe."

The Fuji EnviroMAX batteries are free of cadmium, mercury and PVC, three of the chemicals that make other disposable batteries so dangerous when they are disposed of improperly. The batteries are also encased in plastic, not steel, making them, theoretically, more recycleable.

Here are all of Fuji's claims about the EnviroMAX:

• Most of the resources used in the Fuji EnviroMAX production process are reused and recycled.
• The substances of lead, cadmium and mercury are "totally abolished" in all FDK/Fuji Battery Factories - no matter what the usage.
• No ozone depleting compounds are used in Fuji EnviroMAX production.
• Fuji EnviroMAX batteries are packaged in recycled paper and recyclable P.E.T. plastic - Not hazardous and non-recyclable PVC plastic.
• All Fuji Batteries plants comply with the European Union's RoHS Directives.
• Fuji Batteries monitors all of its suppliers for environmental responsibility and requires certification that they do not use hazardous chemicals.

Of course, any battery that you still have to throw away is still less green than a rechargeable battery, so there's no way I can actually recommend this battery, but still, at least Fuji is thinking outside of the box.

Fuji EnviroMAX batteries will be initially available at Big Y stores in central Massachusetts and Shop' n Save in the St. Louis/Missouri areas, or through the Fuji EnviroMAX website.