We are already seeing increasingly powerful batteries in the return stream – including old phone batteries, power banks and 18650 cells.
As part of our research, we have tested some of the most common ways people store used batteries at home.
With new battery technologies offering higher energy density, it’s no longer certain that traditional solutions are good enough.
To better understand the risks, we tested what actually happens when things go wrong – by overcharging an 11.1 Wh LiPo cell.
The results clearly show that the way batteries are stored makes a significant difference.
As energy density increases, so does the potential risk.
It may be time to rethink how we store used batteries at home.