Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas - the end of the year is a frenzy of promotions and shopping that many of us get caught up in. Meanwhile, instead of spending a fortune on new products, you can successfully revive toys or electronic devices purchased a few years ago. And give an eco-friendly gift to yourself or others.

From this post, you will learn:

• How to easily bring old electronic gadgets back to life by replacing the battery instead of buying new ones.
• The ecological and economic benefits of repairing devices yourself.
• What legal changes in the EU from 2027 will make battery replacement easier and extend the lifespan of electronic equipment.

30% of Poles plan to spend between 251 and 500 PLN on Christmas gifts this year, 18% plan to spend between 501 and 750 PLN, 15% between 751 and 1000 PLN, and 13% more than 1000 PLN, according to a PayPo survey. Under the Christmas tree, we will mostly find cosmetics, sweets, electronic gadgets, and toys. More than one-third of respondents intend to complete their holiday shopping in November, taking advantage of Black Friday promotions. They will likely save money, but there’s another way to approach Christmas on a budget - eco-friendly gifts. Sometimes, simply replacing the battery in a favorite toy or mobile device can allow you to enjoy them again. And at the same time, support efforts to protect the environment.

Christmas Gifts for the Drawer

Many people keep used electronic gadgets in drawers, basements, or garages, as we learned from last year’s study by Zymetria agency. As many as 64% of respondents hoard old phones, laptops, or toys at home. We replace them with new equivalents mainly due to worn-out batteries - typically, batteries should last between 500 and 1000 charging cycles, but they sometimes lose their life sooner. The fact is that in many cases, there’s no need to buy a new device. Instead, you can find a suitable replacement battery and successfully continue using it.

In most laptops available on the market, you can replace the battery yourself. Some batteries are easily removable, while others require opening the casing, but it’s still relatively simple. This way, you can give the device a second life without spending a fortune on a new one and without adding to the pile of electronic waste - notes Grzegorz Trafiał from Greencell. He knows what he’s talking about. Greencell specializes in selling replacement batteries for devices from well-known manufacturers, not just for laptops, but also for toys and power tools.

An Eco-Friendly Gift for Christmas

The organization “Free the Scrapper” also shows that repairing broken equipment can be relatively easy by organizing repair workshops as part of a repair café. Participants include children, teenagers, adults, and even seniors, regardless of skill level. During the last edition of the workshops, under the guidance of experts, participants repaired laptops, which were then given to digitally excluded individuals. One of the skills practiced was replacing batteries with brand-new models from Greencell. Fantastic gifts were created, and the initiative can inspire anyone to reach into their drawer and dust off long-unused electronic gadgets - from tablets to children's toys. Take an old toy car, for example - how much joy it can bring to the youngest in the family after installing a new battery! And what a relief it brings to the environment by refraining from buying another gadget and supporting battery recycling.

Batteries That Can’t Be Replaced? New Regulations Are Coming

Although many devices are designed to allow battery or accumulator replacement, there are still products on the market with non-removable batteries. This can be frustrating. However, changes are coming to extend the lifecycle of electronic devices and reduce the amount of electronic waste produced in the EU.

This will certainly influence future designs of all battery-containing devices, as some are currently not user-friendly when it comes to battery replacement. That’s why in our factory, we are already prototyping solutions for, e.g., electric bikes, which will allow the battery to be integrated into the vehicle but also easily removed with a single motion - says Grzegorz Trafiał from Green Cell.

Battery Recycling - Is It Worth It?

A battery is actually a very valuable electronic waste. However, it requires specialized recycling (and won’t be recycled while it sits in a drawer!). Its individual components, such as copper, can be recovered and reused. The demand for copper in Europe is expected to increase sixfold in the next five years! The need for this and other raw materials used in batteries will grow due to the energy transition driven by the development of distributed energy and electromobility. This will create a huge market for battery recycling.

See also...
A market for recycling lithium-ion batteries worth USD 12.2 billion

The efficiency of the reuse mechanism will also be enhanced by the so-called battery regulation, which will be gradually implemented in the EU over the coming years. It includes the introduction of a digital battery passport, allowing the identification of components used in batteries and their origin. Electronics manufacturers have been subjected to strict recovery standards and minimum recycled content requirements in new products.

The new regulations will be a significant challenge, but their goal is worth the effort for both manufacturers and consumers. Eco-friendly gifts are an excellent way to start pursuing this goal in our homes!