Ah yes, batteries. They're missing when you need them most, and you throw them away when they're spent. Now, does that sounds like your idea of a perfect life?
Welcome to the world of rechargeable, recyclable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) rechargeables. They come in all standard sizes, AA through 9V, and are used in laptops and cordless tools, too. Either can be charged up to 1,000 times; imagine the 1,000 alkaline batteries you'd throw away while cycling your rechargeables! And, like compact fluorescent lightbulbs, you save money over the long term. While a charger and a full set of batteries might cost $20-40, you save the money many times over the life of the batteries, since each recharge costs about a penny each. In my personal experience, NiMHs are superior, since they have higher capacity, no "memory effect", and are less toxic to the environment. But either will work fine.
Whatever type of battery you use, it's got to go someplace when it finally dies. Here's the scoop on recycling the different types of batteries found around your home:
- Disposable alkalines (traditional batteries for use in toys, personal stereos, etc.): if date coded before 1997, they are toxic waste (high mercury content) and should be disposed of only in a special landfill. Post-1997 ones aren't specifically toxic, but at present they can't be recycled so you'll be forced to throw them in the trash.
- Ni-Cds, NiMHs, and Li-Ion: both small ones (AAA through D and 9V) and bigger ones (used in cordless power tools, cordless phones, and laptop computers) can be recycled just about anywhere. See www.rbrc.com for the recycling center nearest you (hardware stores often are part of this program). If you don't have internet access, drop me a postcard and I'll let you know the recycling centers in your area.
- Car batteries (or any lead-acid battery): most states encourage recycling of lead acid batteries. You get charged a fee when you buy the battery and it's refunded when you return the battery to the seller. Check locally for details in yo rea.
- "Button" cells: often recycled by the retailers who sell them, so check locally.
More information in this vein is at www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/hard.php.
Lightbulb update
One more thing before I go. Last issue, we had a group purchase of energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs. I'd like to report the results here: together, we bought over $1,000 worth of lightbulbs (136 in all)! I'm thrilled by the response.
I can't say for sure how much energy and pollution these bulbs will save, but here are some interesting projections (thanks to John Schmit for his help).
Over their collective lifetime (136 bulbs at 10,000 hours each), our bulbs will save:
- about 136,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. That's 68 tons! (From Grist .)
- the equivalent of 80,000 pounds of coal. That's 40 tons! (From How Stuff Works.)
In summary: one call out to the wider DR community, and together we save 68 tons of CO2 emissions and 40 tons of coal. We'll save in power bills too, but I'm hoping we're all motivated by the ecological benefits! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share my enthusiasm for doing better with a bunch of folks who are so supportive and receptive. My deepest thanks for being part of this dream to be more sustainable in our lives.
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