Comments on: Single-Use vs. Rechargeable

By: Geoffrey Morrison

Geoffrey Morrison — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:14:07 +0000

Single-cell still is best for charge-storage applications–remotes, etc. I do try to use a charger to keep single-cell batteries alive for as long as possible. I do think the better brands like Duracell recharge better and offer more uses.

Pre-charged NiMH batteries are supposed to supplant single cell batteries. I have some Wally World-favored Kodak pre-charged batteries in a certain wall clock–the movement became really slow since, I suppose now that the batteries are somewhat old and give off lesser voltage. Thus, I’m pretty certain that single-cell alkaline is the best for clocks–they don’t leak so much current over time–and, a slow clock isn’t evident until the batteries need recharging or are finished. I was hoping that pre-charged NiMH would succeed better….

NiMH and Li-ON are the best for frequent charging and high current demand applications. Digital cameras, camcorders, and wireless phones come to mind. Always, it’s best to remove such batteries and store them safely until the next use/recharge (don’t let their terminals meet themselves or metal). Current seems to drain very quickly from NiMH and Li-ON batteries into electronic circuitry.

Westinghouse amber LED outdoor accent lights actually can use and recharge NiMH batteries.(Unfortunately, the plastic of the Westinghouse lights becomes very brittle). The later Malibu amber LED heads don’t recharge NiMH sufficiently, though. I’ve seen the Malibu Ni-Cad batteries for sale at Home Depot and/or Lowes. I need to get a pack–and to recycle some old Ni-Cad cells there, also. NiCads don’t hold up in any way as well as NiMH–I have many such Ni-Cads to recycle. It’s somewhat rare that a NiMH battery won’t recharge any longer.

(An odd battery application and solution of some interest for photographers: An old Honeywell photographic spot meter my Dad left me used an odd-size mercury battery–of course mercury cells no longer are available in the U.S. anymore–shipping them here from foreigners certainly is illegal, too. . (OKC’s recycling center did take the old ’60s era cell in.) An alkaline replacement is available in the correct size and type: Unfortunately, alkaline batteries lose current steadily over time–affecting readings–mercury batteries gave about the same current throughout its virtually all of their lives. Some clever guy now fabricates battery enclosures which fit in common replaceable button batteries as well as the meter. Thus, current decay from the button battery mimics that of mercury cells very well. Readings remain accurate.)

By: jules

jules — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 04:03:55 +0000

I recharge single-use batteries i.e. alkalines.
I recharge NiMH batteries.
I recharge NiCd batteries.

I do all this using a Viatek RE02

https://webportal.orderwave.com/Viatek/portal.0?action=viewItemDetail&itemNumber=RE02G

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:01:01 +0000

Sadly I use single-use batteries just as much as I do rechargeable, but I do recycle them all once they are spent. I extend the life of single-use batteries by using my Buddy L Super Charger which charges both single-use and rechargeables.

By: Dwayne

Dwayne — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:58:58 +0000

Thanks much. I knew there had to be something somewhere and yet I had no real way to get there when it came to recycling batteries. It kills me having to resort to landfills for all too much of what otherwise could be recycled.

Thanks much, be good.

By: Brad PCT

Brad PCT — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:12:49 +0000

This is an awesome, well-researched article. I work for a company called PC Treasures, and we offer a product called the ReZap Battery Engineer. It lets you charge both rechargeable and nonrechargeable batteries up to ten times, so it’s a very green product, and I think it’s worth checking out. Go to digitaltreasures.com (there’s also a funny video we made about it on the site).

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:41:12 +0000

I have rechargeables for some of my power tools but other batteries I just use cheapo single use type from the dollar store. None-the less, any of the batteries , rechargeable or otherwise, go in my trash when they are exhausted. I buy the rechargeable ones for my power tools at an outlet, they don’t take the old ones back, and I’m not going to cart them around anyway. That’s what I pay the trash pick up company for.

By: Dee

Dee — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:30:06 +0000

Thanks for the article. I re-copy and published an article about battery recycle center in my country to my blog (asabunga.blogspot.com), and I need an image for it. When I searched for the image I came across this article. I think this site is great. Can I translate some of the article and publish it in my blog? I will mention the source, for sure.

By: Mark_

Mark_ — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:02:08 +0000

I recommend two ideas. Don’t keep too many rechargeables on hand. Try to locate a single cell charger and then buy two or four of them.

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:02:44 +0000

I haven’t boughten a single, ‘single charge battery’ in over 10 years. I actually have some old batteries that i was going to throw away, i had to look up recycling options for useless computers & came across this. IMO Duracell rechargable batteries are the best overall considering they don’t lose much charge as much as the Energizer recharables. I have to recharge my Energizer batteries anytime i use them as Duracell’s can hold its charge even though it hasn’t been charged in weeks. Not sure if the MAh rating makes a difference though. I, even use the older rechargable batteries for my remotes & anything else low powered that older rechargable batteries won’t work in higher end devices like my walkman. Plus they last even longer when you dont’ use them as much. I noticed my Energizer batteries are showing thier age while i bought a set of Duracells’ back in ’04 or ’05 & they still work great! I saw 50 packs of ‘single use’ batteries in Target & wondering, why would anyone need that many batteries?

Honestly not only single use batteries are harmful to the environment mostly to mass amounts of batteries (battery acid leakage) but its just not cost effective. If the average person that needs a 50 pack of batteries within 1 or 2 years they could probably get the same out of 8 rechargable batteries in that time & possibly get more usage out of it, if you like to run things into the ground (when something becomes completely unusable) before replacing it. I highly suggest rechargable batteries to everyone. Even if you hardly use batteries to begin with if you buy rechargables & try them out for awhile you may prefer to use that to save money in the end either way.

It’s nice to know i live right by a recycling center too.

By: Col. Clink

Col. Clink — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:08:18 +0000

Thank you, Jennifer for what you are doing to help our planet. I hope they are paying you well.