Rechargeable batteries can be recharged 500 to 1,000 times: Consumer Reports
It's something most of us have around the house to power up the TV remote, children’s toys or flashlights in case of a power outage.
But if you find you’re spending too much money on disposable single-use batteries, it may be time to make the switch to rechargeables.
Buying rechargeable batteries and a charger will cost you more up front, but overtime you'll save a lot of money and some batteries can be recharged 500 to 1,000 times which can keep a lot of single-use batteries out of landfill sites.
Meghan Patterson and her family have been using rechargeable batteries for about eight years.
“I worry a lot about our environmental impact when it comes to things like batteries,” Patterson said.
Both rechargeable and single-use batteries contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute the environment. They both also require water and energy in the manufacturing process and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
A 2016 study in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment found that rechargeable batteries are more sustainable than disposables after you’ve used them at least 50 times -- something that shouldn’t be a problem for most families.
“With kids' toys we go through batteries all the time and now I don’t feel guilty about it,” Patterson said.
Consumer Reports says toys and wireless mice are a great place to use rechargeable batteries since they usually draw a lot of power over a short period of time.
“You know, you buy them once and you can recharge them around a thousand or so times,” said Shanika Whitehurst, with Consumer Reports in Product Sustainability.
Make sure you also buy a charger that can accommodate all the different sizes you’ll be using. As for single-use batteries, they hold a charge longer and are best for things like smoke detectors and emergency tools like flashlights.
“That’s what they’re designed to have a slow discharge for those types of items where you kind of need them on the ready,” said Whitehurst.
Every battery, whether it's single-use or rechargeable has a life span and should be disposed of properly. Don't throw them in the garbage as most municipalities and some stores have easy to use recycling programs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.