Issues > July/August 2007 (#121) > Picking the Right Rechargeable

Picking the Right Rechargeable

by P.W. McRandle

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about PAUL MCRANDLE

Paul McRandle is National Geograhic Green Guide's Deputy Editor.

More By PAUL MCRANDLE

In This Week's Green Guide to Go (July 18, 2007)

Sturgeon General’s Advice
Guest Editor Sylvia Earle on giving wildlife a break.

Tapped Out: The True Cost of Bottled Water
Paying thousands of times more for bottled water, and damaging the environment while you're at it, simply makes no sense. Take your own reusable bottle.

American Waters: What Hurts, What Helps
Fishing and swimming are our classic summer pastimes and we’d do well to preserve them from contaminants, invasive species and other threats.

Picking the Right Rechargeables
Who needs new batteries, when rechargeables are easier than ever to find?

Tip of the Week: Choose a Dryer with Moisture Sensors
Dry right and cut your energy bill.

Fresh Finds: Shopping With a Cause
We may not be able to buy our way into environmental nirvana, but what we buy and where we buy it can get us pretty close.

Support the Seaweeds: 50 Ways to Save the Oceans
Even the landlocked can take steps to keep the oceans healthy. Here are a few ways you can help protect the seas.

Photo: Picking the Right Rechargeable

Whether you rely on an old-school Walkman to tend to your musical needs or a battery-eating digital camera for snapshots, there’s no need for your mode of entertainment to stock  landfills.  Now that battery rechargers are cheap and small enough, there’s little reason to buy single-use batteries again.  The savings: 500 to 1,000 disposable batteries for each rechargeable.

Consumer Reports recommends nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries for handheld music players and games.   And recent advances have resulted in  “hybrid” NiMHs which come powered up and lose their charges much less quickly than other NiMHs. This is a great plus for digital cameras and other high power equipment. 

Beware, however, since some products require 1.5 volt batteries, while many NiMH batteries recharge at 1.4 volts and are quickly depleted to 1.2 volts. And since different rechargeables work better for different devices, follow manufacturer recommendations. 

Hybrid NiMHs
Hybrio AAA and AA 4-packs retail for $12.99 (www.rechargeablesonline.com)

Rayovac Hybrid AAA and AA 4-pack retail for $22.49 (www.amazon.com)

Sanyo Eneloop AAA 4-pack ($14.99) and AA 8-pack ($29.99; www.nationalgeographic.com/store)

Rechargers
Rechargers come in two flavors: traditional slower units that power up batteries in three to four hours and more expensive “zap” rechargers that can bring a battery back to life in 15 to 30 minutes (though they can be harder on the battery, potentially reducing its lifespan).

Energizer charger for C, D, AA, AAA and 9 Volt NiMH batteries ($24.99, www.batteriesdirect.com).

Sanyo Eneloop Battery Recharger for AA and AAA NiMH batteries ($29.99; www.nationalgeographic.com/store)

Sony BCG-34HE4 Super-Quick Worldwide Battery Charger (w/4 AA NiMH batteries) ($29.99, www.amazon.com).

Rayovac Universal Battery Charger for Rechargeable AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-Volt Batteries ($23.27, www.buyhardwaresupplies.com)

Vanson V-2888 AA/AAA/9V Battery Charger  (NiMH and NiCd) ($14.95, www.sundancesolar.com).

Disposal
Since rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals—including nickel, cadmium, lithium and lead—they must be treated as hazardous waste to avoid being landfilled or incinerated.   For proper disposal, see www.rbrc.org .

Green Guide 121 | July/August 2007 | For Techies