Don't toss dead bike lights — swap the battery instead

A basic soldering iron and a $3 replacement cell can pull old gear straight out of the e-waste bin.

In a popular blog post, writer Julia Evans detailed how she revived a pair of 10-year-old bike lights that only held a 5-minute charge. She sliced open the silicone casing, desoldered the worn-out LIR2477 cell at a local makerspace, and soldered in a fresh replacement from AliExpress. Total cost: about $20 CAD for batteries and silicone glue.

Why it matters: Sealed electronics usually end up in the trash as soon as their internal batteries degrade. Showing that a beginner with no electronics background can swap a soldered coin cell proves everyday hardware is far more repairable than it seems.

Know this: Here's the gist if you want to fix your own gear: cut carefully along the seams, take breaks so the battery doesn't get too hot while desoldering, and don't panic if you drop a tiny screw or two on the floor.

Turns out your dead gear might just need a fresh cell and a trip to a local makerspace.