Battery Recycling Model Bill Proposed

by | Jun 20, 2014

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BatteriesFour of the nation’s battery interest groups – the Corporation for Battery Recycling, battery manufacturers from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, The Rechargeable Battery Association, and Call2Recycle – announced the creation of a model recycling bill for consumer batteries June 12 at the Product Stewardship Institute’s National Batteries Stewardship Dialogue Meeting in Hartford, Conn.

According to Call2Recycle, the bill is the first time the four groups have teamed up to take shared responsibility for the collection and recycling of all single-use and rechargeable batteries. The model bill only covers consumer batteries, such as those found in portable electronic equipment, home smoke alarms and remote devices. The organizations behind the model bill expect that it will be introduced in selected state legislatures in 2015.

The model bill comes after the nation’s first single-use battery recycling law was passed in Vermont last month.

Under the Vermont law, manufacturers or sellers of single-use household batteries in Vermont will be required to plan, implement, and manage a statewide battery collection program by 2016. The law is a type of extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.

There is currently a voluntary collection program in place for rechargeable batteries in Vermont.

More than 10 million batteries are sold in Vermont each year, according to estimates from PSI. However, the Institute notes there are very few recycling programs available to consumers.

Scott Cassel, founder and CEO of PSI, praised the four interest groups for working together in the area of product stewardship, and made a point of saying that their work will have long-term benefits.

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