Rechargeable and Disposable batteries their environmental impact and where can they be recycled?

Do you spend a good deal of time away from a mains power supply and use a lot of battery powered equipment? Do you use a lot of batteries for everyday uses? For most people the answer to one or both of these questions is “yes”. I know that I said yes to both. I started using rechargeable batteries some years back and in conjunction with disposable batteries I have been able to make myself substantial savings.

But what about the environmental impacts? 

I guess it's a bit of a no-brainer that if you use one of something compared to ten of another then it's got to be better for the planet, Right? Wrong! Not if the thing you only use one of has toxic waste. So I’ve decided to take a look at how rechargeable batteries compare against disposable batteries both environmentally and when to use each different technology.

Disposable and Rechargeable battery types         

Disposable, or are more often than not alkaline or carbon zinc. They used to contain very high levels of mercury, but now most brands use none at all, however they should still be recycled. In 2006, 40 billion disposable batteries were sold worldwide!

Unfortunately, it can be difficult finding places that will actually recycle disposable alkaline batteries. Many recyclers separate them from rechargeable’s and they end up in landfill anyway (yes recycling is a business and if they cant make money out of something it gets tossed back into landfill).

Button batteries are a problem as a great deal of metal is used for their comparatively small size and they can contain mercury, silver, cadmium, lithium, or other heavy metals as their main component. Thankfully, due to the increasing price of raw materials, these are a desired recyclable item.

Rechargeable batteries used to be quite environmentally toxic, containing cadmium (NiCad batteries). These days the most commonly sold rechargeable batteries are Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH). NiMH batteries have a better life and performance than NiCad and don't contain as toxic heavy metals, so they are a "greener" choice.

If you own a notebook, mobile phone or ipod, it's likely the battery in it is Lithium-ion. These are the top of the line in terms of performance and the type we are likely to see in cars of the future. Again, a more environmentally friendly option than NiCads.

Regardless of the lower environmental toxicity of today's rechargeable batteries, they should definitely be recycled rather than thrown in the bin to wind up in landfill.

Where to recycle rechargeable batteries

If you're in Australia there are a few retail stores around which have battery recycling bins at the entry to their store but there are very few of them around. As for other places it is best to contact your local council to find out where to recycle your batteries. Some will say that you can just drop them in your household recycling bin and that they will be recycled (I'm a little bit skeptical about where they actually end up). Some council’s say just throw them in the bin with your general waste which guarantees that they end up in landfill.

Darebin City Council in Victoria offers battery recycling.

Hollyhock Batteries Plus in Victoria also offers a free recycling service. Bring the batteries in and they will be forwarded on to be responsibly recycled (not just circulated back into landfill)

Environmental savings

According to a study by Uniross carried out in 2007, the production of rechargeable batteries have the following advantages over disposables (comparing serviceable life):
- 23 times less potential impact on non-renewable natural resources
- 28 times less potential impact on global warming
- 30 times less potential impact on air pollution (ozone pollution)
- 9 times less potential impact on air acidification
- 2 times less potential impact on water pollution

Getting the most from rechargeable batteries

These simple tips will help to ensure you get the maximum life from your rechargeable batteries
-If you're going to buy rechargeable you need to be organized and keep track of them. Being a small item, batteries are easy to lose or accidentally throw out. Given that a rechargeable battery in itself is more toxic to the environment than a single disposable alkaline; if you keep losing them and keep buying more, it defeats the purpose. Have a central point in the house or your car where you store flat ones. I also mark each battery set (eg. B1, B2, B3) so there's equal 'wear', rather than mixing old ones with new ones. This is important as if you mix old ones with new ones the one bad cell you may have will bring the performance of the other cells right down.
- Avoid using the batteries at high temperatures and store out of direct sunlight
- Recharge regularly; almost all rechargeable batteries self discharge without being used to some degree. Some more than others, generally speaking the higher the capacity of the cell in relation to the size of the battery the more self discharge there will be. For example a AA 2700mAh NiMH battery will self discharge rapidly compared to the same AA battery that is only 2000mAh. You can now get batteries with active charge which hold their charge extremely well, sometimes between 6 and 12 months which is outstanding
- Use rechargeable batteries in conjunction with your disposable batteries for best results and minimal inconvenience.
- If you haven’t used your rechargeable batteries in a week or so don’t assume that they are charged (unless you pull them out of the charger that is still on) make sure you give them a good charge before going to the Zoo or your favorite sporting event with your camera.

Cost savings

As mentioned, you can not only lighten your environmental footprint, but save a lot of money by using rechargeable batteries. I use rechargeable batteries in conjunction with disposable batteries. For example in my camera case I will have 2 sets of rechargeable’s and a set of Duracell Ultra Lithium AA as a back up (just in case the rechargeables fail, are flat, or i forget to recharge them).

You can purchase a 4 pack of AA rechargeable batteries for well under $20. They claim they will be good for at least 500 recharges, however I feel that performance starts to wane after about 300. Still great value in my opinion.

A battery charger starts at about $10 and works its way up depending on how many batteries it charges at once, how fast it can charge them, its features (12V cig input etc.) and the brand/quality.

The cost to recharge a set of batteries works out to to be just a couple of cents each time. So, in total, even factoring in the charger, a set of 4 AA will cost only a fraction of the cost of disposable batteries for their serviceable life.

Environmentally and financially, rechargeable batteries just make more sense. If you can, try using rechargeable batteries in conjunction with your disposable batteries. You will see financial benefits and you will also be doing you bit for the environment by making things just that little bit greener.