According to the BBC, the UK currently recycles just 3% of portable batteries and this legislation aims to raise that figure to 45% by 2016.

The recycling bins would be emptied free of charge, but many are skeptical whether consumers will be aware of the new rules or if they would go to the effort of returning batteries to stores.

Legislation like this puts responsibility on merchants.  If forces those who sell products to accept some responsibility for where those products end up.  Merchant schemes are only part of the solution and for that reason this scheme may fail to deliver.  Manufacturers, retailers, and consumers must all be complicit for a substantial impact to be seen.  While many individuals will recycle at home, but few venture out of their own backyard to recycle, unless it involves preventing a hefty landfill fee.  A first step would be better promotion to ensure consumers are aware that this program exists.  Education is part of the solution when it comes to changing peoples habits. 

There are parallels with the plastic-bag recycling facilities being offered at many grocery stores.  In most places it isn’t legislated that grocery stores offer this service, but it is a method for grocery stores to clear their own conscious.  Many of those bins sit empty and unused.  If you bring plastic bags to a grocery store, then why would you not just reuse them rather than put them into a recycling bin, walking around the counter and getting more only to put them back in the recycling bin on your next trip.  

Ireland may be an exception in the success of plastic bag recycling and this model would likely work better for batteries too.  In Ireland the use of plastic bags is legislated.  Ireland has imposed a “plastax” consumption fee on plastic bags since March 2002 where individuals pay at 15 cent fee for each plastic bag consumed at checkout.  This resulted in a 90% drop in plastic bag consumption, or approximately 1 billion fewer bags used annually.   This changed retailer and consumer behavior together: consumers used less bags and as a result retailers were required to stock less bags and could sell more reusable bags to consumers.

For the EU battery recycling program to succeed, it needs a similar consumer motivator.  A battery tax on disposable batteries might a better incentive.  Consumers would hopefully buy rechargeable batteries instead, and as a result retailers would sell more battery chargers and reduce the number of disposable batteries being shipped and stored.

 The EPBA is 

How does it work?

Wattson comes with a sensor clip and transmitter.  The sensor clip attaches to the mains electricity cables leading from your home’s meter box to the fuse box.  The transmitter then sends electricity usage information wirelessly to the receiver, which can be placed anywhere in your home.

The receiver shows you how much electricity you are using in either Watts or cost.  Lights on the unit will glow different colors depending on the current usage.  A blue light means you’re using less energy than normal, purple and you’re using more than average, and finally red and you’re sucking power!

Why Wattson?

If the thought of installing and operating an energy monitor in your home scares you, then this device is for you.  It is simple to install and setup, showing electricity usage in both numbers and colors.  Also, because the display unit is wireless it is easy to move around the house.  The industrial design is sleek and cool and it will look good in any home.

Its internal memory can store up to 28 days of electricity usage information.  The companion software “holmes” will allow you to access daily, weekly and monthly views of your energy usage.  The software works on both PC’s (XP/Vista) and Mac’s (OSX 10.4+) and can be downloaded directly from the manufacturers website.  The software lets you view historical data by month, day, hours, years and in carbon tonnes.

Wattson is also capable of showing energy generation, if you are connected to a solar cell or wind turbine.  It uses an average of just 5 watts and runs on an internal rechargeable battery.

How is it installed?

First, insert the batteries into the transmitter.  Next, attach the sensor clip (which is attached to the transmitter by a cable) to either of the two cables running from the electricity meter to the fuse box.  The sensor clip simply unclasps and then fits around the cable.  Position the transmitter outside of the fuse box for better transmission range.

Houses with single phase electricity only require 1 sensor clip, which is included with the unit.  Buildings with 3-phase power will require 3 clips.  Additional clips can be purchases for £12.95 each.

The device costs £99.95 from the manufacturers site. 

Eco Showerdrop is an affordable fun product that accurately measures the amount of water you’re using in your shower.  Kids and adults will love using it.  The display has an outline of a person that fills as your water usage increases.  On the left it displays elapsed time and on the right the volume of water dispensed in liters.

Get in the shower and press the large droplet button.  The display will show the number of liters dispensed and an audible alert will sound when you reach 35 liters.  You can carry on showering and the display will continue updating, or press the big button again to stop the counter.  The unit will reset automatically after approximately 5 seconds.

The manufacturers recommend first having a normal shower with the product, so you can accurately measure how much water you are actually saving.  On their website they have a calculator that will estimate the savings for your entire family over a year (in British pounds and Carbon emissions).  UK water authorities recommend using 35 liters of water per shower.

The casing is waterproof, bright blue and shaped like a water-droplet.  It uses a lithium battery that will last 12 months.  It can be wall mounted or lanyard hung.  The Eco Showerdrop retails for around $20 USD.