power linesNo matter where you live, you have probably heard people talking about the importance of conserving our power and electricity supply. If we turn off the lights when we leave a room, we will cut down on our power use, which will save us money on a power bill. The thing is; power comes in other forms. Not just wires that run into our home. With technology being what it is; we also use a lot of battery power and we should also learn how to conserve our environment through careful battery use.

Using Batteries Wisely

recycle batteriesEvery power tool, laptop, smart phone, portable radio, and more all have one thing in common. They need power. There are some devices, especially tools, that can be wired to run on power, but most all of them use batteries as well. To ensure that those items continue to work properly, we must keep batteries in them. However, it is a simple fact that we have all accepted; batteries go dead. Smart phone batteries go dead and may eventually not hold a sufficient charge. Car batteries, marine batteries, and all other batteries are the same way. There are things you can do to prolong or shorten the life of any battery. For instance, instead of leaving your laptop plugged in all the time; take it off charge and allow the battery to drain fully before you recharge. This same technique works for all rechargeable batteries.

The Batteries We Love

large battery disposalIf you look in our landfills, one of the biggest issues is batteries filling them up. Large batteries, like those that we use in our vehicles and our boats are even bigger problems than the tiny “AA” batteries or those that we use in our phones. They not only take up more space, but they are filled with toxins that can cause damage to our environment in a big way. Therefore, it is important that you learn how to properly dispose of used batteries when you are done using them. In fact, in some states, it is illegal if you do not dispose of sealed lead acid batteries properly. Therefore, you will want to do what you can to protect the batteries. You can keep marine batteries that are not being used up off the floor in your garage and always keep them in a battery box when in your boat. You can check out this guide on battery boxes on http://www.stainlessmarine.com/group-24-battery-box-group-27-battery-box-performance-marine-parts-stainless-marine/ if you want more information. Then, when it is time to throw it away, you will want to check your state’s regulations to see how to get rid of it. You should do this for all batteries except alkaline batteries.

Do Your Part to Conserve!

We are never going to stop using batteries and other power sources. They are too much a part of our day-to-day life. Knowing how to use batteries efficiently so that you do not have to throw them away as often will help us all to conserve our environment for future generations and save us a lot of money now as well.

Conservation as A Family Event