Dear Co-op America, Please settle an argument between my wife and me. Which rechargeable batteries are better for the environment: NiCads (my pick) or NiMHs? — Joe & Jessica, Milwaukee, WI
Looks like your wife wins this time. Both nickel cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeables can be recharged over 500 times, but the toxic cadmium in NiCads makes their disposal problematic. Instead of cadmium, NiMHs use metal hydrides, which are less harmful to the environment. (Both are, of course, much more eco-friendly than single-use alkalines, as they last a lot longer. They also outperform rechargeable alkalines, which can only be recharged 50 times.)
Performance-wise, NiMHs have an edge over NiCads, too, with their lower discharge rate. Over 60 days, NiMHs on a shelf will experience 15 percent energy loss, compared to NiCads, which will lose 60 percent.
Consumer Reports found that NiMHs even out-perform single-use alkalines in high-power electronic devices like digital cameras, flash cameras, and camcorders. (For emergency equipment, such as flashlights, single-use alkalines are best since they won’t lose their charge just sitting there.)
Be sure to recycle dead batteries. If your local recycler doesn’t accept batteries, Battery Solutions (800/852-8127, batteryrecycling.com) will recycle your used alkalines and rechargeables. There is a small fee, with discounts for large quantities.
Eco-friendly Clothes for Older Kids
Dear Co-op America, Do you know where I can find eco-friendly clothes for older kids? Everything I’m finding seems to be for babies . — Concerned Mom in Kansas
When it comes to outfitting growing children, nothing beats reuse in terms of saving money and resources. Swap with friends and scour garage sales and secondhand stores for cheap, quality items. Online auction sites can yield bargains in bulk. Enter your child’s size and gender on eBay.com’s search engine, for example, to find entire lots of nearly new clothes for sale.
When buying new, look for clothing made from eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, linen, and wool — that are grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Organic wool comes from sheep that are fed organic feed and are not exposed to synthetic hormones or pesticides.
When shopping for organic fabrics, remember that federal organic standards only cover raw fiber harvesting. Once organic fiber leaves the farm, there are no standards preventing it from being treated with chemical bleaches, dyes, or finishers later in the process. Many clothing companies that belong to the Organic Trade Association (413/774-7511, www.ota.com) have embraced their voluntary production standards to minimize chemicals and other green companies have enacted similar standards. Be sure to ask before making a purchase.
Two OTA members, Garden Kids (800/620-7388, www.gardenkids.com) and Green Babies (800/603-7508, greenbabies.com) offer organic cotton clothing for kids of all ages. Also, there are dozens of companies in our National Green Pages™ that offer eco-friendly children’s clothing. Visit www.greenpages.org and search the clothing categories, or call us at (800) 58-GREEN to get a paper copy for $11.95.
Living Green is brought to you by Co-op America, a national nonprofit that provides green living, purchasing, and investing tips and resources. To join Co-op America and get a free copy of the National Green Pages™ directory of green businesses, call 800/58-GREEN, www.coopamerica.org. E-mail your Living Green questions.