Hey Wilson, great idea!

Simon

I want one, I have a lot of old batteries sitting around in drawers because i haven't the heart to toss them.

One question, why just AA sized batteries? Surely that thing can be modified to use all sorts of sizes and volts.

shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog

@purple-pillows:
Some businesses offer recycling programs for free, mostly retailers. I'm sure someone takes them in if you look for them... like Office Depot does ink cartridges, and Sprint used to take in old cell phones (the ones that were still usable were usually donated to women's shelters, the ones that were not were recycled if I recall correctly).

Evil J

@qbrad: Some baby-related thing—the last bastion of the D-battery business. But I suppose you were kinda close...

Wilson Rothman

@purple-pillows: did some research and this company will take pretty much any battery ever... but they charge $24 for "kit" and it has an obnoxious i(product name)... this needs to be free... and local garbage collection should provide a free service in recycling programs...

[www.batteryrecycling.com]

i know i sound environmentalist but recycling is probably the most important thing if want to stay innovative

purple-pillows

who even collects batteries for recyling... thats a business worth starting... ill even pay for the shipping...

purple-pillows

I can see someone tossing their cigarette butts into the thing. Old pens, chewing gum, drinking straws, used hypodermic needles...

Lite

Ooh think of all the fun you could have trying to force a 9volt into a C-cell hole....

Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude

I don't understand how the electrical conductors are making contact with the batteries?

Substance_D

Were the D-cells for your Vibrator? Or your Armatron?

qbrad

I skimmed over this post at ubergizmo a while ago, and didn't see the point I guess. Now that I have read this it's a fun concept, what's one of these things going to cost?
Adam [www.hdupdate.com]

alohrey

kind of reminds me of a joul theif circuit.
you could kind of make a mini one, just check this out:

[www.evilmadscientist.com]

takemetoyourtoaster

cool

unkpku is think that new comments are like iPhone 3G pre 2.1, yeah it sucks

@shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog: AA is the most common, seriously, how often to you finish off D-cell, unless you have a baby?

Mister Cow Pnoy

@Evil J: i just turned my old one into them, but they send it to some national place that recycles them for many causes.

Mister Cow Pnoy

WANT

kmkl

my question is who is still using non-rechargable AA batteries? especially a bunch of gadget nerds, like the ones the ones that read this site.

now a disposable camera recycling center, there's a money maker...

rrrrrrright

Doesn't best buy have a battery recycling program? My work does and I just chuck them there.

up2l8

Very nice idea, and the way you took it further is even better!

RE-L

@rrrrrrright:

You`d be surprised. I still reckon theyre in the minority..

Maracas9

unless it stores the energy, i see no reason this would do much seeing as the light it's self would only be visible during the day when people are out and about.

I really think they should forget the light all together and just send it back to the grid... not a huge amount, but every little bit helps. Not to mention that if you had these things all over a large city, that is alot of batteries coming in.

RendiaX

@RendiaX: oops, meant to say "wouldn't be visible"

RendiaX

@alohrey: Great point. I'm not a big recycling fan, simply because of the theory that we are spending more resources on recycling than we are saving. Think of all the money and resources it costs to run recycling plants, ship materials, all that crap. I think if recycling isn't wasting MORE resources than it saves, it is definitely at least wasting AS MUCH as it is saving, thus making it completely useless.

I think until we come up with better ways of recycling, it is a complete waste of time. I refuse to participate. And that is not out of laziness. I do my part to help the environment by riding my bicycle to work, and using mass transport. So laziness is not a factor here.

paqman

Home Depot and Lowes up here in Canada do free battery recycling. I think to make it more efficient to recycle they need small recycling drop points in strategic areas in the city so as you are just traveling by you stop in and drop all your shit off. That way they can cut much of the extra duel recycling uses out of the equasion.

Bailen

@Mister Cow Pnoy:
Thanks, I couldn't recall the specifics of it.

Either way, if you have something to recycle, there is usually a way to do it...

I wouldn't call myself a "tree hugger" by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess the boy scout in me believes in the "not leaving it worse than you found it" thing. Therefore, recycling is just one of those things that you can't criticize in my view.

Evil J

(start sarcastic holier than thou hippie rant)

I feel very offended that you forgot to mention Portland, after all we were voted the greenest city in the nation. Not to mention that most people around here drive hybrids or smart cars/ride their bikes everywhere.

I think I'll go for a walk in the forest,write some poetry and cry a bit :(

(end sarcastic rant)

Jonathan21

@qbrad: As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I can only hope that those D cells were being hoarded until game day, when they would be hurled at the opposing team's fans and bench.

Go Eagles!

RamV10

@RendiaX: Why bother with "the grid"? Seems like it'd be a lot more useful using old batteries to trickle charge any rechargeable batteries you have (instead of plugging them into the wall socket to recharge). Is there such a thing? I was going to post this as a seperate comment, but since you mentioned yours, mine's kind of an add-on, refinement of yours.

baglunch