Is it possible to refurbish a depleted battery?
From Wikipedia:

The Edison–Lalande cell was a type of alkaline primary battery developed by Thomas Edison from an earlier design by Felix Lalande and Georges Chaperon. It consisted of plates of copper oxide and zinc in a solution of potassium hydroxide. The cell voltage was low (about 0.75 volts) but the internal resistance was also low so these cells were capable of delivering large currents.

The Edison-Lalande cell was sold as a large porcelain jar, a porcelain lid with terminals and electrodes, and a bag of potassium hydroxide. The customer mixed the chemicals with water. When the electrolyte solution was depleted, the customer purchased a new bag of potassium hydroxide. When the zinc or copper oxide electrodes was depleted, the customer purchased new ones.
The cell voltage was 0.75 volts, so three or more cells were connected in series to form a battery with enough voltage to operate the motor of an an Edison fan or phonograph. Edison sold batteries of three cells in a wooden box with instructions affixed to the inside of the lid.
If you search the internet, you can buy antique jars with terminal-lids that could probably be refurbished and used today. The museum where I work has two of them, I might just do that. There are apparently people selling new versions today. Newer technologies have certain advantages of stored energy density and ease of use etc. The disadvantage is renewal or recycling difficulty. Pay your money and take your choice.