I’ve never had a lot of electronic gadgets, not being an electronics-needy person.
When I had kids, though, that changed. Mechanical toys, radios, and portable cassette and CD players filled my house. Batteries were being repeatedly bought then dumped in the trash after a short while. I cringed every time. (This was before anyone was talking about or doing anything about recycling these toxic, mercury-laden things.) I thought back to the 80s boom-box era, and imagined piles and piles of D batteries in our landfills. I cringed some more.
The battery, or the idea of it, has been around since electricity was discovered. The rechargeable battery was invented in 1859 and as inventions go, it needed a lot of testing. In 1991, Sony came out with the first lithium-ion rechargeable battery for general use.
Rechargeable batteries became mainstream and popular in the mid-90s, the most common being nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride, still toxic, but at least with a longer life span. At that point, we were probably at the top of our household battery use. The timing was perfect! I bought all new rechargeable batteries and a charger. I used and still use mostly AAA and AA in small items like those mentioned above, my wireless mouse, the tv remote and my digital camera. You can also get C and D , though, for radios, flashlights and other large, portable energy users. Over the last 15 years, I have saved lots of money and reduced my waste, toxic and otherwise.
Just like regular batteries, rechargeables do lose their effectiveness over time and need to be replaced. Recycle them! In some states, it it the law. The most obvious choice is an electronics store, such as Best Buy or Radio Shack. Until it recently went out of business, I took all my e-waste to the local electronics supplier. I did some googling and found where to recycle batteries, which told me our two hardware stores will take them. Good to know! Be sure to ask your potential battery recycler if the batteries actually get recycled or put in the trash.
Do your landfill, water source and air a favor by using rechargeable batteries and disposing of them properly.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Rechargeable are definitely the way to go – especially when you have kids who have all kinds of electronic or battery-operated toys. :) Tks Nan!
Ain’t that the truth! Now that the girls are older, all their gadgets are plug-ins – iPods, cell phones and laptops. Still rechargeable and needing recycling, but a different bird altogether.
nice article, keep the posts coming