Green cell vending machines and battery pack
Ever found yourself stranded with a dead cell phone or camera and not a AA battery or charger in sight?
I know I certainly have, which is why I’m excited to hear about Green Cell. Green cell is a universal rechargeable battery that is safe, environmentally friendly and made without toxic chemicals. It’s an idea designed by Theo Richardson, Charles Brill and Alex Williams of RBW and it’s similar to the universal charger. The battery would fit any electronic device on the market. And here is our favorite part, when it runs out of juice; it can be swapped for a new one at a vending machine!
The Green Cell program would run similar to ZIP car or the Velib program in Paris. Users could purchase a fully charged battery at the vending machine and then return it to receive their money back. The battery would be recharged for the next user.
This week's chargers at YouRenew.com
I just love this idea because it would eliminate the need for multiple batteries and chargers. We’ve written before about universal chargers, but chargers would be unnecessary with this program! Every home would be able to operate with just one universal charger between them. Plus it would save money for consumers who could opt out of a battery when upgrading to a new cell phone. The battery is a surprising additional cost many people don’t think of.
Even if manufacturers can’t agree on a universal prototype, it would be great if Green cell could create rechargeable batteries to fit devices that run off of alkaline batteries too. Their idea for charged battery vending machines is exciting enough! They wouldn’t even need to have a universal battery; they could give the user a choice on the size and type of battery needed. Just giving people the option to recharge on the go would allow more people to take advantage of the environmental benefits of rechargeable batteries.
Although this would fundamentally change the way manufacturers make their money and therefore make it tough to implement, I think it’s time to step forward and consider options that are good for both the environment and consumers. All for one and one for all!
The idea of having of having a that is environmentally friendly and made without toxic chemicals is great news to me. But the thing that really got to me is not only there are vending machines for it but they also give you a refund! This is something I would want to see and I can’t wait to see it in action.