Bye-bye batteries, responsibly
Cordless tools and the batteries that keep them humming are one of the biggest boons to woodworkers. But they eventually become obsolete. Unlike common trash, old batteries deserve the respect they’ve earned.
Seven years ago, I talked about how I have a hard time keeping batteries and chargers in check — stored and out of the way, but also easy to grab when I need them. I noted then that I only kept my most frequently used close at hand, with the rest relegated to an accessible box or two.
But while looking for a specific charging cable I emptied out that battery drawer, and was shocked (see what I did there?) by all the space I was wasting. Yeah, I knew some of those batteries would probably never be used again — look closely in the photo below and you’ll spot an old DeWalt 14.4-volt pod-style battery. I have no idea where the DeWalt tools that could use that battery are, if I even still have them. I also have an old Hitachi charger for a tool I know I no longer own.
That photo doesn’t tell the whole story. Several batteries and a charger were elsewhere in my woodshop, so they were absent from the photo shoot, plus there are those other storage boxes. The time had come to start getting rid of them.
Old chargers are no problem: Obsolete with no matching tool? In the trash they go. But you can’t do that with batteries, especially Li-ion. Our township occasionally has a recycling day for electronics, but I was otherwise clueless as to what to do with these now.
Fortunately, Google knew what I didn’t. Your local blue or orange Big Box store will probably take them. Both of mine have recycle bins just for batteries, as does Best Buy and many other retailers. They accept any type you have — NiCad, NiMH, Li-ion, you name it.
What they won’t take are batteries that have obvious issues, so don’t expect them to take anything corroded, visibly damaged or worst case, badly swollen. For those, Google again for “household hazardous waste,” and you should find someplace close that will take them.
Cordless tools and the batteries that keep them humming are one of the biggest boons to woodworkers. But they eventually become obsolete. Unlike common trash, old batteries deserve the respect they’ve earned. Take care of them properly.
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.
