Batteries: Recharge or Recycle

Anybody who has children has had to deal with purchasing more batteries than they ever thought possible. This is because so many things are now electronic! The thought of how much money you can spend on batteries is enough to scare any adult thinking about Christmas; but in today’s world, batteries are a necessary evil. What do you do with your batteries when they burn out? Do you throw them in the trash? Should you? Or should you look into rechargeable batteries and/or recycling the old batteries that you have now?

Rechargeable Batteries

What are rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable batteries are basically holders of energy. Unlike older batteries, which can only hold a charge so long before they are spent, these batteries can actually be filled up with energy again. One of the great things about rechargeable batteries is that they allow you to save a great deal of money, and lots of landfill space, because they can be charged over and over again. But there are some down sides to rechargeable batteries as well. One of which is the fact that not all devices can accept them.

Some of the items that require batteries will specifically say on them that it is best not to use rechargeable batteries. Why is this? Some believe that it’s simply because the company wants you to spend more money on batteries, but that may not actually be the case. In reality, the reason why you may not want to use rechargeable batteries in some things is simply because they use their energy too quickly.

When you first use a rechargeable battery, you’ll see that it has quite a bit of life in it, just like a traditional battery does. But after you recharge it, you may notice that it doesn’t have quite as long a life span as it did the first time around. Rechargeable batteries are only designed to charge a specific amount of times, and then they have to be replaced. How many times can they be recharged? It depends on the battery. Some batteries can be recharged a number of times, while others can only be recharged a few times. The batteries that are made by names that you recognize often are able to hold a charge for a longer time and can be recharged over and over again, while many of the lesser known companies make batteries that are somewhat inferior and can only be charged a few times.

So how do you take care of your rechargeable batteries? First, it is vital that you make sure that you never try to charge a battery that is not a rechargeable. Always look on the battery to ensure that it says “rechargeable” on it before you even think about putting it into a charger. When you go to the store, or look online, you’ll notice that rechargeable batteries are sold in kits (with a charger) or in replacement packages (batteries only). If this is your first experience with rechargeable batteries, then you’ll need the kit. Once you have the charger, you can buy just the replacement batteries thereafter.

Once you notice that the battery is starting to weaken, it’s time to put it in the charger. Make sure you put the rechargeable batteries in the charger the correct way or else the charge won’t take effect. Once the batteries are in the charger correctly, a light should come on indicating that the charger is working. When the color of the light changes, that means the batteries are fully charged, and ready to be taken out. It’s not a good idea to leave the batteries on the charger any longer than it takes for them to charge, as this can shorten the life of the battery.

Recycling

If you don’t want to buy rechargeable batteries, then you may want to think about recycling. While purchasing rechargeable batteries is a great way to help the environment, if you’re not into recycling, then you should definitely look to organizations that will accept batteries for disposal. These organizations are trying to prevent pollution by recycling batteries or disposing of them properly. Landfills aren’t the place for batteries, along with some other potentially hazardous substances. Batteries need to be disposed of in other ways, specialized for them, in order to be properly handled and to keep any harmful substance from seeping into the ground.

Unlike cans and paper, it can be tricky to find a company that is willing to work with you on recycling your batteries, but if you search online you should be able to find one. When it comes to batteries, there are two ways to go green: by purchasing and reusing rechargeable batteries, and by recycling the batteries that you currently have. Either way, you will definitely be helping to save the earth.