When It’s Time For Your Dead Batteries To Kick The Recycle Bucket

In my line of work, I literally go through buckets of batteries every month. Wireless microphones, hand-held meters, communication devices—they are energy vampires sucking the life out double A’s like there’s no tomorrow. And if environmental scientists are correct in their predictions of a future unchecked regarding waste, energy and global warming—there just may be no tomorrow. So, I do what I can when it comes to my excessive battery usage.

This leads to three problems: (1) Cost. (2) Every job requires fresh batteries so that there are no device failures in the middle of a show. Which means that a lot of batteries still have some life left in them⎯and to toss them would be wasteful. (3) What to do with all those buckets of batteries?

The last problem is the easiest: Recycle. Rechargeable or non-rechargeable, all battery types are now put into recycling programs to reuse some of the materials in the batteries and to prevent contamination of the environment with toxic battery waste that is not reusable. To find your closest recycle center or drop box for alkaline batteries, go to http://earth911.com/recycling/hazardous/single-use-batteries/ and enter your zip code. To find your closest recycle center or drop box for rechargeable batteries, go to http://www.call2recycle.org/home.php?c=1&w=1&r=Y and enter your zip code.

The second problem is a little harder. Using rechargeable batteries seems like a good solution. However, rechargeable batteries do not fail gradually, warning me that it’s time to change batteries like alkaline batteries do. Rather, they die like a heart attack with little warning. Plus, they do not perform as well as alkaline batteries do. Performance-wise, non-rechargeable batteries pitted cell-type by cell-type against a rechargeable will last longer per cycle of use. Non-rechargeable batteries have a higher capacity for holding voltage than rechargeable batteries do.

So, I use new alkaline batteries with every show and wind up with many that still hold some charge. One way of preventing waste is that I donate the batteries for children’s toys that can operate off of used batteries quite well until every last bit of energy is used up. As it turns out there is some research supporting this practice. The following link (See Article Below this Post) is an article that promotes repurposing partially used batteries with less-energy consuming devices such as LED flashlights.

The first problem—cost—I deal with by buying in bulk select batteries that I have field-tested that are both economical and efficient for my business. But what about the regular user who may use only one bucket of batteries every year or two?

Looking at the past three years of Consumer Reports magazine (Nov. 2007, p. 6; Dec. 2008, p. 7; and Dec. 2009, pp. 10-11) evaluation and ratings of AA batteries, it comes down to basically this:

For devices such as cameras that require a brief high-intensity draw of energy from a battery, use the slightly more expensive battery. For non-rechargeable alkaline batteries, Consumer Reports consistently recommends the Energizer brand with names like “Advanced,” “Ultimate” and “Lithium.” For rechargeable batteries, CR recommends the Sony brand named “Cycle Energy” or similar.

However, for devices like remote controls or CD players or toys that draw little energy for long periods of time, most alkaline brands will work fine. Kirkland Signature that comes in a 48-pack from Costco is the best value costing only approximately 1/5 (in some price comparisons) the price of a name brand AA of the same performance. Rechargeable batteries for this kind of use will perform well enough for most devices and will save more money in the long run as well as being more eco-friendly.

And for those of you who want to be eco-friendly, but either use very few AA batteries or hate the bother of remembering to turn off your battery charger so that you do not overcharge your batteries, there is a new rechargeable battery that can recharge off of any USB device in your home from a company called “USB Cell” http://www.usbcell.com/product/1.



A few warning words concerning battery use and abuse:

Many people mistakenly believe that rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries can be used in the same electronic devices. In most cases you can; however, the performance will be lower. Here’s why:

Most primary (non-rechargeable) cells—your zinc-carbon or alkaline-manganese⎯generate 1.5 volts per cell. Most secondary (rechargeable) batteries—your nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride—generate 1.2 volts per cell. Therefore, a 6-volt battery pack for an electronic device requires five secondary cells, but only four primary cells. For example, if 4 primary batteries specified for a tape player are replaced with a same number of secondary batteries, your available voltage drops from 6-volts to 4.8 volts, resulting in lower performance.

Additionally, many people believe that rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries can be used together as long as they are the same rating such as AA. Again, in some cases, it will work, but at a cost of lost performance or damaging a battery. Here’s why:

For batteries connected in parallel, if one battery is 1.5 volts and the other 1.2 volts, the 1.5-volt battery will overcome the 1.2-volt battery and quickly discharge itself through the 1.2-volt battery leading to premature failure. If connected in series, the difference between the two voltages will not cause one to damage the other, but the smaller voltage battery will go dead before the higher voltage battery and your electronic device will fail to operate. In other works, a stronger battery will not “help” a weaker battery in a series connection. Plus, it will be difficult to determine which battery is the dead battery, thereby causing you to toss some still-good batteries prematurely. This is why most manuals state to always use a fresh pack of batteries together in an electronic device.

Incidentally, multiple batteries connected in parallel (positive to positive and negative to negative) are arranged that way to provide the same voltage of a single cell for a longer period of time than what can be accomplished with just one cell. Batteries connected in series (positive to negative) are arranged that way to increase total voltage additively.

Another warning is with placing batteries in the wrong way will cause a short circuit in a parallel connection. At the very least this will damage your batteries in a battery pack, and at worst cause a fire. We’ve all heard about making a fire with steel wool and a 9-volt battery, but a 1.5-volt battery by itself can generate enough heat when shorted to start a fire as well. See video: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-survival-fire-from-battery-staple-222300/. Typically, however, there is no little to no harm in placing batteries oriented in the wrong direction relative to each other in a series circuit such as in a regular penlight style flashlight.

That’s it for now. I hope that this post was informative as well as entertaining. If there is one thing I hope you take from this is that if everyone took the small step of disposing of all of his or her used batteries at drop-off centers, it would be a giant leap for our environment.

Yours in a Greener America,

Brian


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Utilization of Discarded Alkaline Batteries in LED Flashlights

K. Frank Lin
Lighting Sciences Canada Ltd.
160 Frobisher Drive, Unit 5
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2V 2B1


Abstract – The present usage of alkaline batteries in devices under-utilizes the potential charge. Used batteries still have some charge left in them that is ideal for driving LED flashlights.

I. INTRODUCTION

Many electronic devices and instruments that use alkaline batteries, only function properly when a certain threshold voltage is available. Empirically, the threshold value is about 1.35V for 1.5V cells and 7.5V for 9V cells. When the voltage from the batteries drops below this level, there still remains a fair amount of charge in the batteries, but they are discarded because they are of no use for the device. Also, it is the policy of some users of alkaline batteries in instruments to replace them every time they are about to be
used in the field to avoid failure on site. This causes a number of batteries to be discarded with useful charge remaining. It would be desirable to recover this remaining charge from these batteries before they are discarded or sent for recycling.

II. DISCARDED BATTERY REMAINING CHARGE

Discarded (or depreciated) AA alkaline batteries, from various electronic instruments,
were collected from a retail electronics store to get a sample of the population. The discarded batteries had their no-load voltage measured and they were sorted according to their remaining voltage. Below are the statistics:

No-Load Voltage Number
Found Percentage of
Population
Less than 1.0 22 14.3
1.0 to less than 1.2 21 13.6
1.2 to less than 1.3 18 11.7
1.3 to less than 1.4 27 17.5
1.4 to less than 1.5 29 18.8
1.5 or greater 37 24.0
ALL 154 100.0
Table 1. Sample Discarded AA Battery Statistics

Based on published material from battery manufacturers, it is estimated that, those batteries with voltages of 1.5V or more would, on average, have 75% of their full charge remaining. Based on that same information it is estimated that batteries with 1.3V to 1.5V would have, on average, 45% of their remaining charge available. Hence, the estimated recoverable charge remaining in this population is (.240 x 75) + (.363 x 45) = 34.3% of the total original available. If batteries are removed and preserved at the normal end of use, the expected voltage of the battery would be about 1.35V for AA cells. Batteries used in LED flashlights for devices incorporated with voltage inverters would allow the battery to be used down to 0.8V. D, C, and AAA cells were collected and investigated. Similar distributions of voltage values were observed.

III. DISCARDED BATTERY UTILIZATION

A. LEDs and Used Batteries

The voltage required to operate an LED is about 2.6 to 3.7 volts. Therefore, three used AA
batteries with voltages of 1.3V or higher are a viable power supply for operating an LED. This means that from the sample population of discarded AA alkaline batteries presented in the previous section, there is a large amount of useful energy going to waste, and that close to 60% of the population is needlessly being discarded.

B. LED Flashlights Using Used Batteries

The environmental impact of waste batteries is a large concern. Alkaline batteries are mostly sent directly to landfills as they are discarded in the general garbage. Recycling companies exist to take these batteries and recover the metals that they are constructed from, but the service is charged for. Therefore, any method of reducing the amount of batteries discarded should be of environmental interest, both for the wasteavoided and for the environmental cost to produce more batteries.
Lighting Sciences Canada has developed a number of simple LED flashlights that are designed to operate well with used alkaline batteries. These flashlights have been found to last hours, producing useful light, on batteries that have been considered dead for other devices. In fact, many flashlights were found to last for hundreds of hours before the light dropped below a useful level.


Picture 1. Dr. Frank Lin with Two LED Lights

LED flashlights using depreciated alkaline batteries could incorporate a resistor to limit the current down to 20 to 30 mA. Assuming 50 lumens/watt LEDs are used, flashlights using three 1.35V D cells would give out 5 lumens in the beginning and depreciate to a useful level after hundreds of hours.

C. 9-Volt Alkaline Batteries

Smoke detectors and many portable electronic test instruments use 9V alkaline batteries. Empirically, the replaced 9V battery will be measured to be generating around 7.5 volts. For this type of battery, a flashlight can be constructed using two LEDs (in series) and a current limiting resistor (about 150 ohms). Sixty lumen-hours can be produced using this type of battery.

D. Applications

LED flashlights using depreciated alkaline batteries generate a few lumens to a fraction of a lumen. They would be extremely useful for people who still use fuel-based lighting
equipment. If all the used batteries were collected and used in fuel-based lighting communities, it would easily reduce their fuel consumption by around 50%. This could equate to 20 billion dollars in fuel consumption savings. For electrified communities, these lights would be useful as nightlights, blackout emergency lights, or lighting for those trapped in total blackout situations such as trapped miners or disabled submarines. For example, if these lights had been available, they would have been of great use to those in the Superdome after hurricane Katrina.

E. Suggested Discarded Battery Reuse Program

Since there is a viable use for presently discarded batteries, perhaps it would be of interest to develop some sort of program where these used batteries removed from devices can be reused in flashlights. When the charge is more fully utilized, commercial recyclers can then handle these batteries.
It is feasible for present cycling companies to involve themselves with re-use programs. It would involve adding extra handling of the batteries when they are received, but it is conceivable that automation could be developed to sort the batteries not only by size, but by remained charge level as well.
Because of today’s increased concern over environmental and energy conservation issues, communities would readily accept and institute programs and policies to encourage the recycling of alkaline batteries. Companies that would provide this recycling service would benefit from the positive public relations. Additionally, such programs would reduce the amount of batteries being wasted directly into garbage collection and increase the amount of recycling from residential sources.

IV. CONCLUSION

Presently, batteries used in electronic devices are often discarded at time of replacement. The remaining charge is viable and useful in a simple LED flashlight. The environment would benefit from better utilization of alkaline batteries both in terms of
waste reduction and manufacturing costs.

Here are some simple numbers to consider: According to the EPA 4.6 pounds of trash per person is generated every day in the U.S. Technically, this 4.6 pounds of trash is defined as municipal solid waste (MSW) and includes everything recyclable and not, from junk mail to junk food, newspaper to toilet paper and canned goods to vegetables gone bad http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm.

The other number to consider is that of the 4.5 pounds of trash generated, we recycle or compost on average 1.5 pounds per person per day. Not bad, but it could be better. This thought occurred to me while driving through my neighborhood on Thursday morning and noticing how few red recycle bins were by the curbsides of our homes. Rather than lining up like runway lights along our streets, they dappled the neighborhood like a minor measles outbreak. There used to more.

I like my neighborhood; but like so many others, trends and perceptions govern our habits. And they change. How many of us can attest to the number of American flags that flew in our front yards when the first Iraq War began, or shortly following 9/11? Where are those same flags today? Where did the recycle bins of yesteryear go? I believe they all went the way of human nature—when urgency ceases so does action. It’s the American Way. One informal survey of why people do not recycle revealed some common themes http://earth911.com/news/2010/03/15/why-people-dont-recycle/.

One common problem with recycling programs that prevented people from getting involved was the bother of having to separate glass from paper from metals into separate bins. Today, many neighborhood programs offer what is called “single stream recycling.” Single stream recycling removes the bother of homeowners having to separate their trash by using conveyor technology that automates the separation process at the recycle center. If your trash collection service offers a single bin for recycling, then it is likely a single stream recycler and you do not need to pack papers and glass and metals separately for pickup.

So, what does our recyclable trash come to per household? Typically you can estimate 4.5 pounds of trash per day, 7 days per week, 31.5 pounds per week multiplying to 126 pounds per week for a family of four. Recycling and composting knocks 42 pounds off that tally leaving us with 84 pounds going to a landfill each week per household—but let’s not get all mathy about this.

Rather, being men of measure, let us focus on how much our recycle bin weighs when the trash man cometh. I have two bins and on a random week weighed each. Subtracting the actual weight of the bins, our family of three (five if you count our two dogs) generated 23 pounds of papers, cans, cereal boxes, soda cans, glass bottles and jars and miscellaneous plastic. Not bad, but it needed to be better if I wanted to consider myself above average.

A reassessment of what I chose NOT to put into the recycle bins gave me a little surprise. As it turns out there are no all-encompassing rules when it comes to what is recyclable and what is not. My recycling knowledge turned out to be urban myth. I used to believe that only plastic items marked with the triangular recycle logo and number 1 or 2 embedded within were accepted http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321. As it turns out, my waste facility takes and recycles all numbers. Some facilities will not—it’s a local thing.

When I called my local trash collector about what items were the most commonly placed into a recycling bin that are not recyclable, they said that while they do take aluminum in most forms (crushed or not) they cannot use aluminum foil or those aluminum foil trays used for baking. Another offender they often get are the microwaveable Tupperware containers—not recyclable, although that is beginning to change http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/tup_widget.show_page?fv_page_code=safetyqa&fv_section_name=help&fv_category_code=search&fv_item_category_code=200550.

Probably the most frustrating for them is the sheer number of old alkaline batteries people toss believing that they will be recycled. Unfortunately, they go to the landfill because they do not do batteries. Some facilities do—it’s a local thing.

The point of all this is that rather than rely on local urban myth on what is recyclable and what is not, call your local trash facility and ask. Go online to their site—most of them already have that info readily available for you. And while you are on the phone or online, request a bin or two—usually they are free and delivered to your curb. And FYI, before tossing that can or bottle into the recycling bin, be sure to rinse all containers out and throw away the caps—typically the caps are a different type of plastic than the container.

By the way, with spring almost here, if you are interested in composting your non-recyclable trash there are numerous composting and gardening sites to guide you. The following is a blog link that will get you gardening in the right direction http://blog.sustainablog.org/5-diy-gardening-projects/.

In my next post I will address batteries, the environment and saving money.

Yours in a greener America,

Brian

State of the Industry—“My Take” by Brian Ratliff


Congressional Barbs Against Insurance Companies
Sting Smaller Businesses


On the eve of the Health Care Summit, NBC Nightly News reported that healthcare insurance provider Well Point has recently increased its rates up 39% in the state of California. Understandably, with the economy down and healthcare costs increasing, this has drawn the ire of the public and its representatives in Washington. However, Congress’s response and the way the mass media chose to report this story adversely affects the meeting and events industry and many other interrelated small businesses. Here’s how:

Well Point executives said that their rate increases are due to soaring medical costs and the loss of too many of their younger insurers. Younger insurers presumably are choosing to drop their coverage to save money at a time in their lives when they are relatively healthy and not in immediate need of health coverage. Rather than contest whether Well Point’s rationale and number crunching truly supports their claims, Congress instead chose to publicly admonish the executives of Well Point (and other insurance providers in general) for “…spending millions in lavish retreats at ritzy resorts.” You can watch this news report online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news/#35570535.

My point is that this is an instance where Congress and the media are working hand-in-hand to manipulate public perception by comparing apples to oranges. The apples in this case are the insurance execs going to ritzy resorts being confused with the oranges of the executive car manufacturers and banking CEOs flying to hearings in private jets during the news of yesteryear.

The difference between the two is that the Well Point execs are actually fueling the economy as opposed to burning fuel joyriding in jets. By having industry keynote meetings and retreats in facilities that are built specifically to support and staff the needs of a large, national function, wealth is spread--not squandered, as Congress and the media would have you believe.

Here are some numbers to consider:

Business related travel generates 2.4 million American jobs resulting in $244 billion in spending with $39 billion going toward tax revenue at federal, state and local levels. Event staging and production businesses that provide services for national business meetings at these “ritzy resorts” net approximately $4 billion from the business travel numbers, funneling it directly into the U.S. economy. This funneled money touches airlines, hotels, hospitality, restaurants, union workers at theatres and scene shops, convention centers, etc. We are talking stimulus not privilege.

And perhaps that is what Congress and the media are playing on—the gut reaction evoked when there are the haves and the have-nots, the privileged and “Joe the Plumber.”

Arguing against "execs going to ritzy resorts" is like saying people should vacation in their backyards rather than take that ski trip to Vail just because they have the means to go to Vail, but their neighbor doesn’t. These tactics are nothing more than knee-jerk messages that are negative and cloud the real issues from the masses. Demonizing a big company is much easier for the public to grasp and accept than understanding complicated health economic issues.

What Congress and the media need to understand is that playing on the public with emotion evoking catch phrases and sound bites does not harm the executive they appear to be attacking, but the everyday worker: bus boys, waitresses, cooks, grounds keepers, painters, house hotel engineers, just to name a few. There is not a trade that is not affected in some way by this type of rhetoric.

Congress and the media need to get their act together. But then again, maybe that’s the problem—it’s all an act.

My name is Brian Ratliff and that is “My Take” on the state of the industry.

I had just arrived home from the airport after a long week and long day of travel. The next day I had to get up at the crack of dawn for another show. I got out the ironing board, and with a grumpy face I began contemplating if I really needed to wear a tie, or if an oxford shirt would do, or maybe just a polo. No. No. This is ridiculous. I’ll wear coat and tie. Wagging a finger at myself in the mirror, never throw caution to the wind, especially with an unknown end client. - - - then again. I am pretty tired. Ten minutes went by. I literally stared myself down in the mirror. Of course, I was also still angry that TSA had wadded my freshly pressed ties into a ball and crammed them back into my suitcase with the care one gives to stuffing a cheap mattress. My wife then comes upstairs and gives me the “what is taking you so long” look that husbands know all to well. At that moment, it hits me.

No matter who you are working for, you are not only representing that
company or person, but also yourself.

Why does that matter? As an example, let’s say you were an executive in a company cubicle and was laid off, but you were then hired as a greeter at Wal-Mart. However, you didn’t greet people and instead sat on your stool texting and looking miserable. If I interviewed you for a job and during the interview remembered you from Wal-mart, what chance do you think you would have of getting hired by me?

With the iron ready, I pressed my pants, shirts, sports coat, and my ties too.


Mention of the Month: Matt Holthaus, Project Manager at Productions, Inc.
Matt Holthaus receives a mention of the month for going above and beyond the call of duty. This is nothing new for Matt or any of the crew at Productions, Inc. who have a long history of exemplary customer service and out-of-the-box thinking. Find Productions, Inc. in the New England area. 978-725-8200



Future Blogs:
What's to Become of RF Wireless AND
WHY it's CRITICAL to have an experienced Audio Engineer at the Helm when dealing with Multiple Wireless Microphones

Stories From the Road

Big Problems, Inexpensive Solutions