5 ms·

Old laptop batteries could power slums, IBM says

45 points by yitchelle 12y ago

DigitalSea 12y ago
This is a wonderful effort that I hope IBM follow through with. This is an idea I have often thought of in my head on and off for years after seeing those battery recycling stations, but obviously being one individual, can't really make a difference. Such an effort could also make people more proactively recycle their old laptop batteries, something I know a lot of people don't take the time to properly do, opting to instead throw it out into the garbage bin instead because it is easier. Heck, if we could create a program where people are paid a few cents for every battery they recycle like you can with bottles and aluminum cans in a lot of places in the world, we would have more than enough batteries for such a plan to scale.
- mschuster91 12y ago
  Germany has such a program already in place for lead-acid car starter batteries, where you pay a deposit of €7.50 and get it refunded upon return. Might be a sensible idea for cellphone and laptop batteries, but I suspect that then thieves and other criminals will target cellphones for their batteries :(
  - miahi 12y ago
    I think this is an EU environmental program, as you find this in other EU countries too, in the same way and about the same money.
    - _delirium 12y ago
      The Battery Directive is the general framework, though member states have some leeway in how they want to design programs in order to reach its recycling targets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Directive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Directive
  - sdrothrock 12y ago
    I'd think that if you stole a cell phone, the cell phone itself would be worth more than the €7.50 deposit...
    - mschuster91 12y ago
      Not these days, as iphones and Galaxy models can be remote-locked and rendered unrecoverable. You might only sell 'em for spare parts, but who does such ...?
  - stonogo 12y ago
    This is the case in the United States as well. When you buy a battery, you pay a "core charge" which is refunded when you return the old battery you're replacing.
arbuge 12y ago
For this to work well, you'd probably also need some plan to ensure the world's slums don't become dumping grounds for old batteries. Perhaps some kind of program along the lines of "Here's a battery... you can keep it as long as you need it, but you need to return it to the depot here to get another one when it runs out."
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
  Unless it is a project to find a dumping ground for old batteries. On a less cynical note, you do not need to provide an exchange program, dead batteries already have a recycling value, you just need to make sure that there is an accessible buyer and someone will make it their job to collect them all without you doing anything.
miahi 12y ago
My father is using old laptop cells as portable power packs for many things; I usually send him all the dead laptop batteries I find, because in many cases there are only a couple of dead cells, the others are fine and can be reused. The problem is that 18650 cells (the ones you find in most laptop batteries) don't have an over-discharge protection circuit, so you can easily brick them if you don't add a protection circuit. You also have to be careful when charging them, as they can catch fire if you do it incorrectly.
zik 12y ago
Wouldn't it be more efficient to recycle them into new batteries that work well instead? Lithium batteries are relatively easy to recycle.
ams6110 12y ago
If a slum-dweller doesn't have power, how does he recharge batteries?
- deserted 12y ago
  India's demand for electricity exceeds it's supply. India's Electricity Authority reported power deficits of 8%.[1] This causes rolling blackouts. Some slums only have power a few hours a day, when demand in other areas is low. [1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/31/india-blackout-electricity-power-cuts http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/31/india-blackout-...
bob917 12y ago
This is an incredibly worthwhile and interesting project posted on hn unlike far too many that are self-absorbed, pretentious, and a Silicon Valley pseudo entrepreneur bukake.

45 points by yitchelle 12y ago

This is a wonderful effort that I hope IBM follow through with. This is an idea I have often thought of in my head on and off for years after seeing those battery recycling stations, but obviously being one individual, can't really make a difference. Such an effort could also make people more proactively recycle their old laptop batteries, something I know a lot of people don't take the time to properly do, opting to instead throw it out into the garbage bin instead because it is easier. Heck, if we could create a program where people are paid a few cents for every battery they recycle like you can with bottles and aluminum cans in a lot of places in the world, we would have more than enough batteries for such a plan to scale.

mschuster91 12y ago
Germany has such a program already in place for lead-acid car starter batteries, where you pay a deposit of €7.50 and get it refunded upon return. Might be a sensible idea for cellphone and laptop batteries, but I suspect that then thieves and other criminals will target cellphones for their batteries :(
- miahi 12y ago
  I think this is an EU environmental program, as you find this in other EU countries too, in the same way and about the same money.
  - _delirium 12y ago
    The Battery Directive is the general framework, though member states have some leeway in how they want to design programs in order to reach its recycling targets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Directive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Directive
- sdrothrock 12y ago
  I'd think that if you stole a cell phone, the cell phone itself would be worth more than the €7.50 deposit...
  - mschuster91 12y ago
    Not these days, as iphones and Galaxy models can be remote-locked and rendered unrecoverable. You might only sell 'em for spare parts, but who does such ...?
- stonogo 12y ago
  This is the case in the United States as well. When you buy a battery, you pay a "core charge" which is refunded when you return the old battery you're replacing.

arbuge 12y ago

For this to work well, you'd probably also need some plan to ensure the world's slums don't become dumping grounds for old batteries. Perhaps some kind of program along the lines of "Here's a battery... you can keep it as long as you need it, but you need to return it to the depot here to get another one when it runs out."

lotsofmangos 12y ago
Unless it is a project to find a dumping ground for old batteries. On a less cynical note, you do not need to provide an exchange program, dead batteries already have a recycling value, you just need to make sure that there is an accessible buyer and someone will make it their job to collect them all without you doing anything.

miahi 12y ago

My father is using old laptop cells as portable power packs for many things; I usually send him all the dead laptop batteries I find, because in many cases there are only a couple of dead cells, the others are fine and can be reused. The problem is that 18650 cells (the ones you find in most laptop batteries) don't have an over-discharge protection circuit, so you can easily brick them if you don't add a protection circuit. You also have to be careful when charging them, as they can catch fire if you do it incorrectly.

zik 12y ago

Wouldn't it be more efficient to recycle them into new batteries that work well instead? Lithium batteries are relatively easy to recycle.

ams6110 12y ago

If a slum-dweller doesn't have power, how does he recharge batteries?

deserted 12y ago
India's demand for electricity exceeds it's supply. India's Electricity Authority reported power deficits of 8%.[1] This causes rolling blackouts. Some slums only have power a few hours a day, when demand in other areas is low. [1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/31/india-blackout-electricity-power-cuts http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/31/india-blackout-...

bob917 12y ago

This is an incredibly worthwhile and interesting project posted on hn unlike far too many that are self-absorbed, pretentious, and a Silicon Valley pseudo entrepreneur bukake.