I'm currently working on a project using the ESP32-C3 Super Mini and I'm on the lookout for a cheap and compact battery solution that provides 3.7V. My goal is to find a battery that is as environmentally friendly as possible while still being actively available for purchase.
I’ve considered traditional lithium batteries, but I'm concerned about their environmental impact and would prefer to explore more sustainable options. I’m interested in alternatives like:
Sodium-Ion Batteries: Are there any commercially available options?
Zinc-Ion Batteries: Do these exist in a suitable size and capacity for my project?
Organic Batteries: I’ve heard about their potential, but are they available for purchase yet?
Other eco-friendly options: Any suggestions on batteries that might fit my needs?
Space is also a constraint, so I’m looking for something that won’t take up too much room in my design.
If you have any recommendations or insights on where to find these types of batteries, I would greatly appreciate your input!
I got 50 Sodium-Ion batteries a while ago. They are NOT 3.7V. Voltage is determined by chemistry so every chemistry is different. IDK what the 'official' sodium voltage is, but the battery is marked as 3V and 1500mAh. They are only half the energy density of Li so a 18650 contains at best 1500mAh. 30 came out as 1500, 5 were 1380, and 5 were 1556. All were 2.5V but that may be the storage setting.
I would estimate that the most enviromentally friendly 3.7V battery is the one that gives the most charge-discharge cycles and needs to be replaced less often than some other.
So probably high quality li-ion cell from Samsung or LG .
What troubles me the most environmentally is the impact the battery will have when it comes to the end of its life. I would like to avoid as much as possible making a project that will harm the planet on the long run. I'm also interested on it being as recyclable as possible and the manufacturing/material-extraction process being as healthy as possible for both the people working and the planet.
I've found sodium ion batteries that to my understanding are way better than the lithium ones, but they only reach 3.0V, will a buck regulator work to make the esp32 work?
I've found myself some sodium ion batteries that are 3.0V and which size may be suitable for what I'm looking for, but I don't know if 3.0V will be enough for the esp32.
I did not run the environmental aspects of end-to-end use of any of your choices. TheNiMH is a balance of ugliness and lifetime of cycles of charging.
You can get a boost-buck regulator for the voltage you want and care less about cell voltage.
--> Are you planning to have a low power mode or sleeping mode here? It makes the external circuit a bit trickier, as you do not want to be running the regulator alla time.
Perhaps a visit to
for a deeper dive on each would be not a waste of time.
I applaud your plan to be light footed here. On the other hand, a trip to the park can usually net at least one nearly fully charged lump of a LiPo cell in a discarded (and maybe crushed, yikes!) vape device…
3V will not be enough, but just connect several in series and use a buck converter to drop the voltage to what you need.
I have not heard of a sodium charger yet but my SkyRC M3000 is programmable so I set up a charge cycle and a storage cycle.
Yes! I've already made some tests with the esp32's deep-sleep mode and the power consumption definitely decreases, but I don't know if it's lower enough to avoid having the regulator running al the time.
Thanks a lot for the link!! I didn't know it existed and I'm 100% going to take a deep look at the website and even contacting them!
Yeah... those things are everywhere. I'm looking into making an open source product that will present an alternative to closed source product that's not very environmentally friendly look-alike, so I want to get as close as I can to that balance of quality-ecology-size.
I'll make sure to update the post with anything that I find ^^
All batteries are environmentally friendly if disposed of properly.
Where I live, it's against the law to dispose of any kind of battery in your normal household trash.
I know! But I also want to take into account the impact the production of the batteries cause as well as how hard is it to recycle them or how toxic they can end up being.
