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Made in the USA?


MikeyG

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10 minutes ago, 4fun said:

This is truly a question for learning purposes and not a jab at either side of the energy extremes and brought to mind by the previous landfill comment. Are the massive amounts of batteries that are currently required for electric cars recyclable or are we going to have the same problem we’re having with old smart phones 5-10 years down the line?

Good point. It's also not just the disposal, but the mining and processing of those heavy metals and the locations they're sourced from.

It's not good

 

 

Edited by ATXZJ
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Not good yet but we will get there.

https://recellcenter.org

Lead Acid is highly recycled and I think the volume will force the same for Lithium Ion

There are also researchers working on alternatives to Li ion, and even sticking with Li-ion but replacing the cobalt which is one of the problematic metals https://news.utexas.edu/2020/07/14/new-cobalt-free-lithium-ion-battery-reduces-costs-without-sacrificing-performance/

This dude rocks:  https://www.me.utexas.edu/people/faculty-directory/goodenough

Finally, there's re-use of car packs.  Even though they're spent for car use, some are finding a second life on the grid to be used for storage.  This is needed with more and more solar and wind out there.

It's a bit dated now but still exciting to watch the ongoing research on Nova and features Dr. Goodenough https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-search-super-battery/

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1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

Rechargeable batteries should NEVER be thrown in the trash. there are still a lot of problems with mining and manufacturing but at least keep that crap out of the groundwater. Recycling locations are always easy to find for that kind of stuff.

Any battery should be kept out of the trash.  The plain alkalines can also be recycled.  Now if we could do something about plastic...

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Industry Nine

Chris King

Enve Composites

WeAreOne rims are Canadian

Devinci Aluminum frames are welded in Canada.

For many things, if it were made in the US no one would buy it.  People like the idea of supporting US companies, but at the end of the day consumers in the US buy the cheaper stuff.  How many helmet models do you not recognize in the top 100 list of bicycle helmets sold?  https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/sporting-goods/3404571/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_sporting-goods

 

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On 2/6/2021 at 12:17 PM, AntonioGG said:

Any battery should be kept out of the trash.  The plain alkalines can also be recycled.  Now if we could do something about plastic...

direct quote from the state's foremost experts on the subject (I work on the same floor with them): "Dry-cell batteries can be thrown away legally in most states, since the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act passed in 1996, which phased out the use of mercury in alkaline batteries. However, a better choice is taking them to a collection site for recycling."

I never got a satisfactory answer to the last sentence but I was told to leave it in anyways. try finding a place that accepts single-use batteries for recycling. they are very, very few and far between. if you find a location that says it takes batteries, 99% of the time, you'll get there with your sack of single-use batteries to find a sign that says "deposit rechargeable batteries only."

I think Austin libraries and the resource recovery center will take them, but those are closed right now due to COVID.

Edited by mack_turtle
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48 minutes ago, Mattlikesbikes said:

The Helmet list is scary. QA/QC and testing seem unknown when you deal with some of these no-name brands. 

 

People have to determine the level of risk they're OK with. I pay for the best helmets, but each person has to decide how safe they want to be. I don't get it, but some people want nothing but cheap.

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I think most people buy a helmet with the belief that they all pass the same safety tests and standards. it's a reasonable assumption, that something as critical as a helmet cannot be sold in the U.S. unless it's minimally safe. then again, some people survive on thrift, good intensions, and trusting assumptions... until that stops working for them.

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On 2/6/2021 at 12:17 PM, AntonioGG said:

Any battery should be kept out of the trash.  The plain alkalines can also be recycled.  Now if we could do something about plastic...

I have a bag full of dead batteries; as noted upthread,  in the Before Times they could be dropped off at a city library for recycling but they aren't being accepted during quarantine and the recycling center downtown has also been closed.  I'm just keeping them in a bag until libraries re-open. 

Edited by June Bug
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Just now, June Bug said:

I have a bag full of dead batteries; in the Before Times they could be dropped off at a city library for recycling but they aren't being accepted during quarantine and the recycling center downtown has also been closed.  Any other options for dropping them off for recycling?

I only know of the Austin Resource center locally.  We use the old salad plastic containers (re-use!) to collect them through a year or whatever, then go make a dump when we can.  I imagine with kids yo go through a lot more batteries.  Now as my kids are both teenagers it seems the battery usage is slowing down so the box is taking longer to fill.

I still don't want to keep them around too long.  They can warm up if they have charge and are shorted.

Outside of that, there are companies that sell you a bucket to fill, then you just mail it in and they recycle it.  We have this at work but for company use only.

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1 minute ago, AntonioGG said:

I only know of the Austin Resource center locally.

I edited as you were posting. I'll just keep them in a plastsic bag until Recycling opens up again.  No shorts so far!  I think the Recycling Center is far southeast Austin.  Not worth burning up the gas to head out that far. 

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13 minutes ago, June Bug said:

I have a bag full of dead batteries; in the Before Times they could be dropped off at a city library for recycling but they aren't being accepted during quarantine and the recycling center downtown has also been closed.  Any other options for dropping them off for recycling?

http://www.austintexas.gov/page/battery-drop-locations

I have been picking up hold items from my local library for a few months now. You can still put items on hold and pick them up outside at some locations. at the Hampton branch, you can park your car in a numbered spot and call them, or call from the front door. it could not hurt to call and ask if they'll take your batteries the same way.

I just asked COA to clarify if these locations accept all sorts of batteries or if any of them are limited to rechargeables.

agreed on the remoteness of the RRC. very few items are worth the time and fuel spent driving to that place. I wish they'd make a few more drop off spots or work with waste haulers to take more to MRFs.

on that note, I see a lot of things in my neighbors' blue bins on recycling pickup day. not that I go around peaking in them, but if the lid is open or styrofoam, plastic bags, and cartons are sticking out the top, I can tell that people don't read. they just wish-cycle and hope the magic recycling fairies will figure out what to do with all their non-recyclable milk cartons.

Edited by mack_turtle
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1 hour ago, Cafeend said:

With an XBox in full use we go through a huge amount .. He recycles and has to pay for them all himself 

You don't have the rechargeable batteries?  We also did a deal where they had to pay me a quarter per battery.  It doesn't cover it, but I want to make sure they feel the pain a little bit.

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3 hours ago, June Bug said:

I edited as you were posting. I'll just keep them in a plastsic bag until Recycling opens up again.  No shorts so far!  I think the Recycling Center is far southeast Austin.  Not worth burning up the gas to head out that far. 

Yes, that's why I currently have two bins of fluids/paints, the battery box, and about 6 4ft fluorescent tubes.  Some of that stuff I've had for a couple of years (it probably translates to 4 years...).  It will get done when I have a weekday trip down there for some reason.

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5 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I think most people buy a helmet with the belief that they all pass the same safety tests and standards. it's a reasonable assumption, that something as critical as a helmet cannot be sold in the U.S. unless it's minimally safe. then again, some people survive on thrift, good intensions, and trusting assumptions... until that stops working for them.

When first starting out in the sport, I used to buy all of my helmets at Academy and don't recall ever spending more that $40 for them. They were always Giro, Bell, etc., but at the lower spectrum of their product lines. As a beginner, I had some of my worse crashes on them and tossed a few that ended up in pieces. Not sure how to judge whether they performed any worse than the expensive helmets I buy these days. I'm here to talk about it, but I will admit that my short term memory isn't what it used to be. 😕

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19 minutes ago, throet said:

When first starting out in the sport, I used to buy all of my helmets at Academy and don't recall ever spending more that $40 for them. They were always Giro, Bell, etc., but at the lower spectrum of their product lines. As a beginner, I had some of my worse crashes on them and tossed a few that ended up in pieces. Not sure how to judge whether they performed any worse than the expensive helmets I buy these days. I'm here to talk about it, but I will admit that my short term memory isn't what it used to be. 😕

I had one of those foam helmets with a Lycra+mesh cover.  I think from Nashbar.

I looked at CPSC and they don't show a listing of who is actually certified.  Several of those no-name on Amazon claim to either have certification or compliant.  CPSC also shows brand name and no-name helmets with major issues, especially kid helmets with chin straps that fall off.

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in case anyone was interested, I asked COA about their list of battery dropoff locations and they responded:

"The locations listed on our website are for dropping off all types of batteries, with the exception of car batteries or others of similar sizes. Each of those locations agreed to accept batteries from residents that were used in everyday household applications. On the City’s end, none of those sites are dedicated to only accepting certain types."

I am pleasantly surprised. If you have a bunch of batteries, I'd check with your closest library to see if you can hand them to a staff member, since the library buildings are closed to the public but still processing holds.

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Thanks for this info!  I'll call the Milwood Library since I do my curbside pickups there.  The Northern Walnut Creek trail is great for bike errands to that library! 

I was at Batteries Plus on Burnet just north of Anderson Lane last week and could potentially drop off there.  The "plus" part is  light bulbs and they had the exact LED version of the big bulbs I needed for the can lights in the garage that I couldn't find anywhere else. 

 

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6 minutes ago, June Bug said:

Thanks for this info!  I'll call the Milwood Library since I do my curbside pickups there.  The Northern Walnut Creek trail is great for bike errands to that library! 

I was at Batteries Plus on Burnet just north of Anderson Lane last week and could potentially drop off there.  The "plus" part is  light bulbs and they had the exact LED version of the big bulbs I needed for the can lights in the garage that I couldn't find anywhere else. 

 

They also used to rebuild battery packs.  I'm not sure if they still do or not.

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/11/2021 at 12:50 PM, June Bug said:

Thanks for this info!  I'll call the Milwood Library since I do my curbside pickups there.  The Northern Walnut Creek trail is great for bike errands to that library! 

I was at Batteries Plus on Burnet just north of Anderson Lane last week and could potentially drop off there.  The "plus" part is  light bulbs and they had the exact LED version of the big bulbs I needed for the can lights in the garage that I couldn't find anywhere else. 

 

Just noticed this but yes Batteries Plus takes old batteries.  They take all single-use batteries and most rechargeable batteries (apparently some Li-Ion batteries they won't take).  They gave me a discount coupon for my next purchase there as well.

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