Disposing of old batteries

[Hilldodger]

Sainsbury's and Waitrose both have bins for batteries near the entrance, in most branches I think.

Ah good, I've a couple of old car batteries to get rid of.

 

[Paulus]

Our council takes the old batteries away with the recycling, it also takes car batteries as well. Most supermarkets round here have battery re-cycling bins.

 

[surfdude]

anyone one know what they do with the batteries ?

 

[classic33]

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/batteries/index.htm

Been in force now for just over a year.

 

[Over The Hill]

An independent study conducted in 2008 by Uniross, a European manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, says that rechargeable batteries have up to 32 times less of an impact on the environment as compared to disposable batteries. When disposable batteries are thrown out, they end up in landfills and release dangerous, toxic chemicals into the environment. Because rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of times instead of just once and then thrown away, the impact and waste on the environment is greatly decreased. This fact also makes rechargeable batteries more cost effective, since less money is spent buying disposable batteries when they die. This study also found that another important environmental advantage of rechargeable batteries is that they have up to 28 times less of an impact on global warming and 30 times less of an impact on air pollution.

I would have thought the benefit much greater.
OK so a one use battery may have a bit more life in it but I must get at least 300 charges out of a rechargable battery.
That is 300 times less manufacturing and 300 times less throw away based pollution.
Power into the battery i am guessing is about the same.

Old rechargables I dont throw out they just get downgraded from cameras to less demanding roles like in clocks etc.

The Wii remotes need endless batteries!

 

[Yellow Fang]

I've thought about a battery charger. I used to have one, but for some reason I didn't like it. I think it was because the batteries didn't stay charged up for very long, as well as having another bit of plastic clutter around the flat. I saw some in Maplins recently, but some of my torch lamps take AA batteries and some take AAA batteries, so I'd need to get two.

 

[marinyork]

An independent study conducted in 2008 by Uniross, a European manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, says that rechargeable batteries have up to 32 times less of an impact on the environment as compared to disposable batteries. When disposable batteries are thrown out, they end up in landfills and release dangerous, toxic chemicals into the environment. Because rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of times instead of just once and then thrown away, the impact and waste on the environment is greatly decreased. This fact also makes rechargeable batteries more cost effective, since less money is spent buying disposable batteries when they die. This study also found that another important environmental advantage of rechargeable batteries is that they have up to 28 times less of an impact on global warming and 30 times less of an impact on air pollution.

I would have thought the benefit much greater.
OK so a one use battery may have a bit more life in it but I must get at least 300 charges out of a rechargable battery.
That is 300 times less manufacturing and 300 times less throw away based pollution.
Power into the battery i am guessing is about the same.

Old rechargables I dont throw out they just get downgraded from cameras to less demanding roles like in clocks etc.

The Wii remotes need endless batteries!

Many people don't tend to use rechargeables to their full potential. There's nothing particularly bad in this, that's just the theoretical shortfall between something that can be charged hundreds of times and the pattern of usage for devices. I didn't get 300 charges out of some of my uniross, I'd put the number more like 120.

In theory it would be nice with the current generation of shops sold Low self discharge rechargeable AA batteries - instants/hybrids/hybrios - and then the uptake would be much greater and there's no disadvantage (apart from presumably cost). I'd be interested as to the uptake of rechargeable batteries, I've always got the impression that it's very, very low.

 

[Cheule]

I've thought about a battery charger. I used to have one, but for some reason I didn't like it. I think it was because the batteries didn't stay charged up for very long, as well as having another bit of plastic clutter around the flat. I saw some in Maplins recently, but some of my torch lamps take AA batteries and some take AAA batteries, so I'd need to get two.

I took advice from here and bought the Technoline BL-700 intelligent charger and some Hybrio batteries, they don't lose power after charging like normal rechargeables and tend to behave just like regular batteries. They have been the biz so far (thanks to all that mentioned them to me in the first place)

On the issue of battery bins, I've just noticed my local Tesco Express in town has one. Maybe it's been there all along but I only noticed it after reading this thread.

 

[Arch]

I've thought about a battery charger. I used to have one, but for some reason I didn't like it. I think it was because the batteries didn't stay charged up for very long, as well as having another bit of plastic clutter around the flat. I saw some in Maplins recently, but some of my torch lamps take AA batteries and some take AAA batteries, so I'd need to get two.

You can get chargers that take different sizes...

 

[Yellow Fang]

I took advice from here and bought the Technoline BL-700 intelligent charger and some Hybrio batteries, they don't lose power after charging like normal rechargeables and tend to behave just like regular batteries. They have been the biz so far (thanks to all that mentioned them to me in the first place)

On the issue of battery bins, I've just noticed my local Tesco Express in town has one. Maybe it's been there all along but I only noticed it after reading this thread.

They do look good.

 

[marinyork]

They do look good.

I have a technoline and also got some hybrios. Would recommend the charger, wouldn't recommend uniross hybrios.