Choose rechargeable outdoor gear

Why depend on disposable electronic devices when there are many affordable solar and hand-crank options available? They're great for the beach, to have on hand for emergencies, and to take camping or boating. Save money on batteries and save the planet at the same time!

Find it! Rechargeable-battery outdoor gear

Human-powered devices allow you to hand-crank your way to clean energy. Some gear — flashlights and radios for instance — come with built-in solar power strips. But for those devices without their own power-generating capacity (think cell phones and laptops), choose a portable solar charger.

Choosing rechargeable-battery outdoor gear helps you go green because…

• It reduces the number of batteries going to landfills and hazardous waste facilities.
• Using fewer batteries reduces the amount of toxic heavy metals — namely mercury, cadmium, lead, and nickel — found in some batteries, that will end up in the air, soil, groundwater, and surface water.
• Solar-powered devices operate reliably with virtually no environmental impact.