12 States Setting the Standard for Battery Recycling and Safety

Every day I search the internet for news and the latest happenings around the waste and recycling industry, and often my feed is flooded with fires at transfer stations, on trucks during their typical routes, or at recycling facilities. Most of the time, officials attribute these fires to batteries mixed in with other materials and exploding, causing total mayhem. However, these fires are completely preventable with effective disposal programs and some states require battery producers to help.

Several states have passed laws requiring battery producers and distributors to fund or set up battery recycling programs which will keep those facility fire rates down and prevent risks to human health, wildlife, and the environment. These producer-funded programs ensure that batteries are collected, transported, and recycled in a manner that mitigates these risks. The programs also make battery recycling more accessible to consumers. The ease of drop-off locations of take-back initiatives encourages people to recycle batteries rather than toss them in with their regular waste.

RELATED: Dealing With Lithium-ion Battery Fires on the Frontlines

A critical component of these efforts is battery stewardship plans, which see producers partake in the continued supervision of its products. Battery stewardships help to outline how a producer must manage the collection and recycling of batteries, often including educational strategies, collection infrastructure, and partnerships with retailers and municipalities. States that mandate stewardship plans can ensure that producers are not only funding programs but also participating in the creation of recycling systems.

Laws, battery stewardship, and EPR can work to keep batteries out of facilities and properly disposed of, which is a good start. And, talking to front-line workers at facilities dealing with these hazardous time bombs, it’s needed. In Ryan Fogelman’s recent fire report, he notes that July was the worst month for reported fires EVER. The month saw 48 reported fires, and while all those fires aren’t due to batteries, Fogelman believes they have contributed to the spike in fires since 2016.

The slide show attached to this article features the 12 states where producers are required to offer or fund battery recycling programs. From Washington’s Battery Stewardship Law to Vermont’s Primary Battery Stewardship Law, these states serve as examples to the rest of the country of how legislative action can drive positive environmental outcomes.