I was just thinking that another change that many people can do is to just use rechargeable batteries. It might sound easy and that's because it is. Now most people know that for a 4 pack of rechargeable batteries you’re going to get set back about $12 which is pretty steep, especially when regular batteries cost about half as much. Then there is the cost of a charger for them that runs about $10 and can charge about 2-4 batteries at a time. If you’re lucky and smart you get a charger that works for everything from D-batteries to AAA-batteries so you only need one charger. To replace all the remotes, audio devices, and miscellaneous electronics is roughly 20 assorted batteries. So when you get the bill you’re looking at $50-$60 just to get replaceable batteries. I know what you thinking, I should be telling you why to get them instead of scarring you away from the concept. I’ll get to that soon enough.

So, once everything is replaced your set. So here are the few important questions and reasons why you should do this. You might be saying “What are the benefits of switching to rechargeable?” Well, first off, you might spend more money on them in the beginning, but over the course of their life you save significantly more. The data varies based on how much you use the devices and what type of devices (since a digital camera uses much more juice than a remote control) but the average would be that a rechargeable battery last 500-800 charges or about 3 years compared to non-rechargeable batteries of about 3 months. That’s a big difference! So maybe you only spend $5 per package of batteries but you buy them on average of 4 times a year so you spend about $20 for the first year. For an equivalent rechargeable battery pack and charger you’ll spend $22 in the first year and nothing for another 2 years after that.

The biggest complaint about any battery is that they just don’t last long enough and you always have to buy them again and again. The same is true with rechargeable but they definitely last longer. In battery terms, Alkaline batteries are the worst. They are the ones that corrode over time and leave the acid power in your devices. They also last the shortest amount of time. So even if you don’t want to switch to rechargeable, think about just not buying Alkaline anymore and opt for Lithium or another element based battery. When you’re buying 20 batteries a year that means that’s 20 more batteries added to landfills around the world. Take a visit to your landfills and you’ll see why this is such a big problem. Batteries that are left in the Sun will explode or corrode or both and spill their acids on the ground and render the soil tainted. Eventually that will get back to you by getting acid into aquifers that replenish our drinkable water. When you think about production costs, there are tons of metal being excavated, tons of acids being processed, and tons of plastics being molded to make a pack of batteries. If we buy batteries less a few good things will happen. First, they won’t destroy our world so much (about 10 times less). Second, battery companies will improve the technology because people won’t want to buy substandard batteries anymore. Third, you’ll save more money in the long run. It’s a win for everyone but the standard battery company and I’m okay with that.