Most of us have a lot of items in our homes that operate using rechargeable batteries: electric razors, electric toothbrushes, power tools, cell phones, laptops, portable vacuum cleaners, etc. If you leave the chargers plugged in full time, most of them will use small amounts of power even if they are not charging anything or if the battery they are connected to is already fully charged. Some rechargeable divides or battery chargers also have an indicator light that is on whenever the device is charging or fully charged. Although the power draw from these idle chargers and glowing indicator lights is small, if you multiply that by the billions of devices using this unproductive energy, it adds up to a lot of wasted electricity. Unplug these items when not actively charging a low battery.
In addition, some types of rechargeable batteries need to be fully discharged occasionally, while other types of rechargeable batteries can be harmed by frequent full discharges. Appropriate (for that particular type of battery) charging and discharge cycles can extend the life of the battery so you can use the item for more years before it needs replacement. There are many types of rechargeable batteries, and each type requires a different charging profile, so if you want to know how to most effectively maintain a particular battery, you will need to research that type of battery. However, here are two general bits of information:
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Many people spend hours each day actively engaged with their smartphone. In addition, the smartphone interacts with other information sources many times a day without our intervention. All of this activity uses a lot of power during a typical day, requiring frequent cell phone charging. Managing your settings and use patterns can reduce the power draw on your battery so you don’t have to charge it as often and so use less electricity. Some of the settings and use patterns can also keep your battery healthy longer so it doesn’t need to be replaced. I found some good articles packed with information on how to evaluate which use patterns and app functions are using the most energy so that you can adjust settings and how you use your phone. The first article addresses both iPhones and android phones. The second article is specific to Android phone and the third is specific to iPhones. As is typical for many topics I research, sources sometimes contradict each other on some points, but these articles have a little information on why their suggestions make sense, so you can evaluate the information yourself. A few thoughts:
https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/25319/complete-guide-to-maximizing-your-android-phones-battery-life/ https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iphone/how-improve-iphone-ipad-battery-life-3513323/ I’ve posted previously about using less plastic, especially the single-use plastics. I just read that nearly half of all plastic is used for single-use items. Resources are used, and pollution and waste are created, to manufacture an item that is used for only a very brief period of time. When discarded, these items can make all sorts of mischief in the environment, from killing marine creatures to making unsightly litter to leaching toxins that end up in our food supply. Most of the plastic is very slow to degrade in the environment, requiring hundreds or thousands of years. While most of us think of beverage bottles, plastic utensils, and bags when we think about reducing our use of plastic, there are many other items in your home that are made of plastic. Some plastic can be a useful part of our daily living, but must be selected, used, and disposed wisely. Please avoid single-use plastic when possible and make sure that all plastic is either recycled or, if it can’t be recycled, makes it to the landfill. I’ve provided links with some additional suggestions.
https://lessplastic.co.uk/9-tips-living-less-plastic/ https://lessplastic.co.uk/9-reasons-refuse-single-use-plastic/ https://lessplastic.co.uk/9-more-tips-living-less-plastic/ |
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