Is your house overrun with fun new electronic toys for big kids? Or smaller, noisier gadgets for the little ones? If so, you probably already made a battery run to keep those toys running.

As we know, batteries die. And they can die very quickly if that new toy is lots of fun. Instead of having a large stash of regular batteries on hand, maybe it’s time to look into rechargeable batteries.

Rechargeable batteries are becoming more and more common. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 350 million rechargeable batteries are bought each year in the United States.

Although the initial cost of these batteries is higher than regular batteries, they quickly pay for themselves.

There are some important facts to know before you head out to the store to buy rechargeable batteries. First, you need to know your options.

According to wikipedia there are many different options for rechargeable batteries: lead and sulfuric acid, rechargeable alkaline battery, nickel cadmium, nickel Hydrogen, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, and lithium ion polymer.

Some of the more common options are nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and lithium-ion batteries.

Nickel cadmium batteries (NiCd) have longer life spans and can hold a charge longer. The small types of these batteries are often used for portable electronics – like cordless phones and power tools — and toys.

Nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH) have higher voltage outputs, but discharge quicker. Some manufacturers of these batteries claim they last up to 3,000 charge cycles. These are commonly used in electric vehicles and in consumer electronics.

Lithium-ion batteries are very popular in consumer electronics and have one of the best energy-to-weight ratios and a slow loss of charge when not in use. These are mainly used in portable consumer electronics.

Battery University, an online website devoted to batteries, reports that lithium-ion batteries are low-maintenance because there is no memory or scheduled cycling required to prolong the life of the battery.

But the site also reports that there are drawbacks to lithium-ion batteries. They are fragile and aging can be an issue.

If you have more questions about rechargeable batteries, I suggest a site like greenbatteries.com. They sell rechargeable batteries, as well as offer useful information about rechargeables.

Do you use rechargeable batteries? If so, which type do you prefer?

My last post got me thinking about batteries, so I decided to continue the thought through this blog. Recently, Uniross conducted a study on the environmental impacts of disposable (alkaline) batteries compared to their rechargeable counterparts. It was the first study of its kind to be conducted, and although the results are fairly predictable (rechargeable batteries are more earth-friendly than their alkaline counterparts), the reasons why might surprise you.

The majority of the environmental impact of battery production and consumption doesn’t come from the harmful substances that are encased in alkaline batteries. Instead, the biggest problem is the manufacturing process and transportation of them. Because rechargeable batteries can be reused up to 1,000 times, when you recharge them you are saving the manufacturing and transportation processes.

Moreover, by switching to rechargeable batteries you’re saving a ton of packaging. The annoying cardboard backing and plastic front that batteries come encased in almost always gets tossed into a landfill instead of being recycled. Still, there are even more reasons to go rechargeable:

• Rechargeable batteries consume up to 23 times less non-renewable natural resources
• Rechargeable batteries have up to 12 times less the potential toxic risks to wildlife and sea creatures
• Rechargeable batteries have up to 30 times less impact on the fragile ozone layer
• Rechargeable batteries have around 26 times less the environmental impact that their alkaline counterparts do, overall.
• Over time, they’re way more affordable. Rechargeable batteries are one of the ways that you can go green while saving some green.