The recycling of electronic components and batteries is making its way through retail and IT, salvaging value parts and diverting materials from going to landfills. A new technology from Adaptec goes one step further by eliminating the need for lithium ion batteries used as part of storage systems.

Adaptec's Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection module, sold with the company's RAID Series 5Z controllers, uses super capacitors to cache data, eliminating the need for battery backup units (BBUs). The super capacitors store the data in 4GB of NAND flash memory, where it can be saved for up to 10 years. By comparison, BBUs ordinarily have 72 hours of operation during a power failure before they would lose the cached data, according to Scott Cleland, director of marketing for Adaptec.

Cleland said the new controller cards with the super capacitors cost more than previous versions, but the replacement and maintenance costs more than makes up the difference. Lithium ion batteries have to be changed every two years, which requires an IT percent to open up the server and manually replace the batteries. Super capacitors last between 7 and 10 years, according to Cleland, and the payback occurs after a single battery replacement.

Adaptec will continue to sell controller cards with lithium ion batteries, Cleland said. Recycling of those batteries is possible through Adaptec's resellers.

Another benefit of the new controllers is for organizations that ship equipment overseas. Equipment with lithium ion batteries must be registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which requires labeling and filling out documents, but the new controllers are not similarly restricted.