A revelation about solar lights sparks a household revolution in reducing battery waste.
About twelve years ago, I bought some rechargeable AA batteries, and they weren’t great. I needed to recharge them pretty often since they didn’t last long, and after a few months, they stopped working altogether. So it was back to disposables. I’m pretty frugal with my battery use, and the ones no longer powerful enough for higher-end devices go into remote controls until they’re totally spent. (I even have a battery tester to make sure I’m squeezing all the juice from every cell.) Since we don’t use a huge amount of batteries, I wasn’t fretting.
I knew that battery technology had improved remarkably in the last decade, but I kind of assumed that was more true for phones and cars. But the battery revolution is here for AAs and AAAs.
As an environmentally savvy homeowner who wants the safety and look of low-level outdoor lighting, I also buy solar outdoor lights. My complaint about these is that after a few years (or less), they stop working and have to be replaced. Tossing the whole light into the trash seemed wasteful, so I was taking one apart recently to recycle the metal body, and I stumbled upon a rechargeable AA battery inside. I guess I thought there was some special battery pack inside, like in a phone, but it was a regular 1.2-volt rechargeable AA battery. Intrigued, I looked online and bought a Duracell charger and batteries.
They are amazing, lasting a good while and charging very quickly. I knew that battery technology had improved remarkably in the last decade, but I kind of assumed that was more true for phones and cars. But the battery revolution is here for AAs and AAAs.
And for solar lights. I popped one of the fresh rechargeables into an old solar light, and it was back to near-new. The original battery was a NiCad (nickel-cadmium) battery, which both contains toxic cadmium and performs worse than the new Duracells, which are NiMH (nickel-metal hydride). These two types are interchangeable. But please note: Do not use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in solar lights, as they are generally too powerful.Â
I honestly don’t know why anyone would even buy disposables anymore. Saving money AND reducing waste. My inner economist is so happy.
Obviously, rechargeable batteries are more expensive upfront than disposables, but the savings over a few recharges more than makes up for the difference, and they can be reused hundreds of times. Disposable AAs can be had for under a dollar apiece, whereas rechargeables are more like $4 each. Conservatively, the equivalent price of a rechargeable is less than a dime for the equivalent power output of a $1 disposable. I’m including any electricity to recharge in that, but of course the sun recharges solar lights for free. After you buy the inexpensive charger, you can get rechargeable batteries without the charger. Another company, Pale Blue Earth, makes 1.5-Volt batteries that recharge with a USB cord, handy for people on the go.
So, I’m a convert. Not just for solar lights, but my electric toothbrush, beard trimmer, water flosser, computer mouse, remote controls, and other gizmos all use AA rechargeables now. I honestly don’t know why anyone would even buy disposable batteries anymore. Saving money AND reducing waste. My inner economist is so happy.
