I am a member of the Rayovac Power Bloggers and receive product and compensation for my involvement however, all opinions are my own.
How much do you know about batteries? I feel like the kids and I are constantly digging in our plastic shoebox filled with batteries to replace the three AAAs that power our universal remote or the AAs that are commonly found in flashlights, toys, and the portable fans that Captain Computer has an affinity for without giving too much thought about what they really are, how they’re made, and the impact of us using disposables on the environment.
According to EcoKids, batteries are made from chemicals found in minerals and since most of the minerals are heavy metals, they tend to be poisonous even in the smallest amounts.
Image courtesy of http://www.ecokids.ca/
EcoKids describes the basic process of making a battery in the following three steps:
- Mining to dig up the materials
- Processing the minerals in a factory to make them into chemicals
- Manufacturing and packaging the batteries to make and ship them to consumers
Not only is there an impact on the environment when batteries are made but according to Inform.org, we throw out approximately 179,000 tons of batteries a year. That’s a lot of AA and AAA batteries! Batteries are a convenient and portable source of power but when I think about how many batteries we use each year, I know we’re contributing to the trash problem by not using rechargeables.
Using rechargeable batteries reduces the amount of trash to our landfills but and the toxicity of the battery waste being generated. It’s a more eco-friendly approach to help our landfills and can also reduce household spending on batteries over an extended period of time.
We’ve started using a Rayovac Universal Charger ($24.99) and Recharge Plus AA and AAA batteries ($9.99 for a 4 pack of each type) for the items in our home that we tend to use most often and draw the most power on a continual basis. While the initial price is more than your average pack of four alkaline batteries, every time we use a rechargeable battery, we’re saving money in the long run to the tune of hundreds of dollars over time. I already feel better about powering our devices with rechargeable batteries instead of constantly reaching for the disposables!
The Rayovac Universal Charger is easy to use and charges 1 or 4 AA, AAA, C, or D batteries or a single 9V battery at a time. The LED lights on the front of the unit indicate the recharge status of the battery and the charger itself is also green since it features a backup safety timer that turns the charger off after it’s been charging for eight hours.
The next time you toss out the dead batteries from your device and reach for the next set, consider what you’re throwing away and ponder a switch that makes sense for the device you need power for that could be better for the environment and your wallet!
