How Green Are Rechargeable Batteries?

Alkaline batteries are still very popular. You can purchase a multitude of them for a reasonable price. But let’s examine the birth and life of an alkaline battery.

In order to make an alkaline battery, the raw materials have to be extracted from the earth and processed. Extracting metal from the earth is not only a costly venture, it’s also a hardship on the earth as we strip her of her natural treasures. These batteries have only a single life, then they are discarded, going from being multiple natural resources to being a liability to the earth, congregating in the garbage dumps around the world.
 
Now lets examine the rechargeable battery. These batteries cost more to purchase and they are not as readily available. The birth of the rechargeable battery isn’t unlike that of the alkaline battery, though the components are different. Creating the rechargeable battery is no less expensive a venture either, in fact the cost is greater. It still has a negative effect on the environment, but here is where they differ.

Whereas the alkaline battery has but one life, the rechargeable battery has a much longer one by far. Yes, it’s true that it takes energy to recharge the batteries over and over again, but the impact of recharging is very much less than the impact of having to mine the natural resources each time. Also the rechargeable batteries do not end up in the dump as frequently as alkaline, especially if people use the recycle resources that have become available.  So less weight and a greener way to power your electronics, rechargeable batteries are a great choice!

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