What Happened to the Hype Around Rechargeable Batteries?
I don’t know about you, but in my house we use rechargeable batteries for lots of things, and they have saved us so much money! Your question may be, what happed to the all hype around rechargeable batteries? Why aren’t they all that we use for batteries now? In this article I will be answering those questions, and talking about what happened.
Why Rechargeables Mattered
In the 2000s to 2010s, rechargeable AA and AAA batteries were seen as the future, they promised to save money, lessen waste, and make you not have run to the store to get a new pack.
The Rise and the Hype
With early popularity of gadgets like digital camera, game controller, and toys that used batteries so fast, they made sense to be the next big invention, so people thought they would definitely replace the old disposable batteries. But that wasn’t what happened.
The Disappointment
Why they did’t take off is because, the early rechargeable batteries used NiMH and NiCd, which didi’t always hold their charge, they would also lose juice just sitting in a drawer or on shelf, and their charging times were long with bulky chargers. All of this just made consumers switch back to the old disposable batteries.
How Rechargeables Got Better
After years these batteries finally got new self-discharge technology, which meant they could hold their charge for months when not in use, they also finally got the ability to charge a lot faster. All of this with other things like a longer lifespan and more power for higher-draining devices, helped them become more popular.
Why People Didn’t Come Back
Even though all these advancements happened, people remembered the early failures, so many people just stuck to disposables, even though the batteries got a lot better! A lot of this was due to the lack of awareness, most people did’t or haven’t realized how much better modern rechargeables are.
The Benefit People Forget
Some people have not seen how many places rechargeable batteries have a benefit over disposable ones. Unlike disposable batteries, you don’t have to buy a new pack every time they die, you just recharge. One set of them could replace hundreds of single-use batteries. In the long-term, they are cheaper and a lot less wasteful.
The Modern Comeback
Why they came back is because, they now have low self-discharge models, faster chargers, and a lot more people are hearing about e-waste and are telling others to get rechargeables instead of getting disposable ones.
The Future
Rechargeables may never fully replace disposables, because convenience still maters to people. But since they’re no longer a bad product, they’re now the smart, long-term choice.
Do you use rechargeable batteries? Will you start using them? Let us know in the comments!