23 July 2022

Rechargeable batteries are perishable goods

Everybody knows that rechargeable batteries age like milk. It doesn't matter whether they are actively being used or just lie around in a warehouse, they degrade and lose maximum capacity and recharge cycles. However, for some reason, unlike milk, rechargeable batteries have no expiry date on their packaging. The manufacturer doesn't determine one, the shops don't indicate battery age, the problem is completely ignored. If you order rechargeable batteries and if the battery model is old, there is a surprisingly high probability that your battery has been lying in a warehouse for many years and is completely unable to hold the charge it's supposed to. Perhaps it's even bloated. The shop doesn't care about this at all, the battery remains in its inventory until it's sold or cannot be sold anymore and has to be disposed of. You can return the bloated battery, but the replacement will not look better.

I have a 9 years old smartphone that can still run Android 11 and whose hardware is in perfect shape, apart from the battery which is dying. The battery is replaceable, but I cannot find a working replacement because every time I order a battery, it is old and bloated, despite the fact that these batteries are supposed to still be produced. The "new" replacement battery is in worse shape than the battery that has been in use for 9 years non-stop. I now have to throw out perfectly good hardware because shops cannot manage their battery inventory.

Products like rechargeable batteries, which degrade and lose their worth so rapidly, should be classified as perishable goods. They should have a clear expiry date and a date beyond which they may no longer be sold. I think all of this is fairly obvious, however, I haven't really seen anyone talking about it yet. With environmentalism being all the rage these days, it is quite surprising that nobody wants to address this sustainability problem.