While certainly easier on your wallet, potentially several thousand hundred dollars per year, rechargeable batteries are also far better for the environment. Each year, more than 15 billion batteries are sold all over the world. Most of these are alkaline batteries, which are used and then disposed of. Rechargeable batteries have more capacity, and can be used hundreds of times before they need to be replaced. This saves the consumer money, and more importantly, this keeps more batteries out of landfills, which is far better for our environment, thus it is more responsible energy usage. Battery acid is toxic, and can cause serious contamination problems if it seeps into the groundwater. This can cause streams and lakes to become polluted with heavy metals, like lead.

The oldest form of rechargeable batter is called a wet cell, or lead acid battery. The modern car battery is a common form of lead acid battery. These are often large and heavy. A more expensive and more portable type is called a gel battery. These include several dry cell batteries, sealed units, like those used in mobile phones and laptop computers. These types of cells include nickel metal hydride (NiMH), nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and lithium ion (LiIon) battery cells.

When it is finally time to replace your rechargeable batteries, it is important to find a battery-recycling program to make sure your batteries are properly disposed of, so that they do not pose a threat to the environment. Be "green" in as many of your lifestyle choices as you can, the Earth will thank you for it!