This is a known problem with RE-recordable CDs.

There have also been some problems with compatibility between re-recordables and various CD burners/readers, but the last I heard of it was some time ago, so it may be less of a problem than it once was.

If you can use the much cheaper recordable CDs, (CD-R rather than CD-R/W) you should get adquate durability for the kind of use you're describing, although that will depend on how much "stuff" you are recording in a session. Unless you're using real bargain-basement CD-R/W blanks, you can throw away several CD-Rs for the price of one CD-R/W. (At least where I've seen them. I don't buy CD-R/Ws.)

With either CD-R or CD-R/W blanks, depending on how you record to them, you can add stuff in multiple sessions without reformatting, until the disk is full. If you make a new "directory" anything not carried over in the new directory simply "disappears" from the directory and is unplayable forever after, althugh the space it used is not re-usable on the CD-R. It's generally recommended that with CD-R/W you avoid reformatting until it's necessary, since the blanks do generally accept only a relatively few reformats before they at least lose some reliability.

As cheap as CD-R blanks are now, it's hard for me to see how you'd really save much by repeatedly reformatting CD-R/Ws. Just put in a new CD-R when you need a fresh disk, and make coasters - or Xmas tree ornaments - out of the old ones.

Others may have quite different opinions, but my experience has been that CD-R/Ws are not very "portable," for use on multiple players, and don't stand up well to that kind of use. I'll admit that the re-writables' performance was so poor when I got my first burner that I've not looked back recently at what kind of performance is current now.

John