We are Allowd to Throw Alkaline Batteries Away – But Should We?

Now that single-use alkaline batteries no longer contain chemicals deemed harmful to the environment, the EPA considers them safe for landfills. (note: California classifies alkaline batteries as hazardous waste). That means we can throw away...

The Great American Junk Drawer: What's in Yours?

Just about every American household has one, some have two. It is bigger in some houses than others, and some are fuller than others. Of course, we are referring to the Great American junk drawer.

What the FAA Says About Traveling with Lithium-Ion Batteries

You have probably heard that there are some restrictions on traveling with lithium-ion batteries. That's true, at least where air travel is concerned. A number of years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) came up...

Rechargeable Batteries and the Minimalist Lifestyle

Our hats are off to those who choose to live minimally. Whether you are new to minimalism, or you have been at it a while, do not forget that your choice of batteries matters.

Will Tesla's Work Improve Consumer Battery Recycling?

  If there were one company we could point to as contributing significantly to the development of lithium-ion batteries, it would be Tesla. Even though Tesla's automotive batteries differ quite a bit from our own,...

The Trash Challenge: 5 Ways to Reduce Trash at Home

Pale Blue Earth's lack of fondness for disposable alkaline batteries is no secret. One of our company's stated goals is to reduce alkaline battery usage as much as we can. We simply hate the idea...

Universal USB Power: A Revolution That Has Stalled

As recently as 2013, tech writers and futurists were predicting a rise in USB power delivery that would be so widespread it would threaten the existence of the current AC system. What was being called...

Could Every AC Outlet Be Replaced with a USB Port?

Recently, we have been thinking a lot about USB power delivery as an alternative to the current AC system. Would it be possible to completely replace AC power delivery by converting everything to DC and...

5 More Ways to Reduce Trash at Home

We used a previous blog post to issue what we call the Trash Challenge. That challenge involves finding ways to reduce the amount of trash you produce at home. As part of the challenge, we...