Illinois Launches Sweeping Battery EPR Law

Illinois has become the thirteenth state to enact a battery extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill and has cast a wide net to target almost every battery type on the market. Set to launch January 2026, Illinois’ SB 3686 covers primary batteries, such as found in smoke detectors and clocks; rechargeable portable batteries, used in devices like power tools and digital cameras; and rechargeable medium-format batteries, including those in e-bikes.

Manufacturers will absorb the cost of collections, recycling, and disposal as well as take on the role of educating consumers on how to responsibly dispose of their batteries.

Christina Seibert, executive director, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), who led in drafting the bill, can vouch for what’s happened with this fast-amassing waste stream over the years.  SWANCC has coordinated collections and recycling of batteries for its 23 member communities since 2009.

Since that time the number and types of batteries flowing into the system have steadily climbed. Alongside that trend people have become more confused about how to manage this evolving stream, while access to convenient disposal outlets has lagged. The agency began looking beyond its service area to double down; discarded batteries were posing both a trash problem and safety risks— and not just in Cook County.

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“As the incidence of fires in waste facilities and trucks was growing, we started talking with other counties and agencies like ours, waste and recycling companies, and groups representing battery manufacturers and retailers to explore options to provide safer and more convenient management of these materials,” Seibert says.

Illinois stakeholders across these diverse groups came together to talk about a battery stewardship act. There’s been rapid movement since. 

SB 3686 passed in a matter of months following its introduction to the legislature. With implementation one year away, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is working to set up oversight of program implementation.

While the battery producer responsibility organization (PRO) has not been chosen, it stands to be reasoned that Call2Recycle—the only North American battery PRO— could take on this role.

As the details take shape, another project has come to fruition: a Department of Energy (DOE)-funded $2M grant awarded to IEPA for household batteries collections. The grant-funded program and the EPR program will operate simultaneously but separately for a period; and work is underway to ensure a seamless transition once responsibility shifts solely to the PRO.

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Successful implementation hinges on participation. Participation in turn hinges on two other critical elements, says Marta Keane, recycling specialist for Will County, Illinois: “It will be important to increase awareness of the dangers of batteries and the need to handle them separately from curbside recyclables, as well as to ensure collection drop-off sites are convenient and publicized,” she says.

Keane has long pushed for safe battery recycling both in her county job and through her work with the Illinois Recycling Foundation and Association.

EPR policy represents a major shift in responsibilities to battery manufacturers who historically had no accountability for their products at the end of life. But the industry and Illinois’ policy makers have found common ground as they plan program details.

“[Industry] sees value in this approach and in our law. We worked closely with The Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA), whose members include many battery manufacturers, and Call2Recycle in developing the bill. We wanted to ensure the producer responsibilities were achievable considering current transportation and handling regulations, collection container options, and capability of recyclers to process collected batteries,” Seibert says.

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It is believed that the materials will be well received into the region’s markets.

With 12.5 million residents and as the sixth most populous state in the U.S., Illinois is a significant source of recoverable batteries. And demand is expected to grow, especially as the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act has targeted putting one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The policy is already sparking investment in infrastructure to manufacture and charge the vehicles to meet this goal Seibert says.

Other EV battery-powered transportation alternatives are gaining traction, driven by initiatives like the work of Ride Illinois. The nonprofit has helped catalyze partnerships between cities, park districts, and electric bike and scooter companies, driving sharp increases in sales and rentals of these alternatives to traditional bicycles.

Stakeholders who came to the table to shape the bill gleaned insight from conversations with other jurisdictions who have pioneered similar laws, and they drew from legislative and program summaries from across North America.  

A big takeway was that the practice of bringing in broad battery categories and chemistries to achieve greater consumer clarity and program performance made sense Seibert says. She surmises that including every brand and battery type also will level the playing field—no manufacturer gets a free ride.

As in Illinois, most of the recent laws tend to encompass a broader range of battery types due to the changing landscape of battery technology and consumer products, says Scott Cassel, CEO and founder, Product Stewardship Institute.

“As states continue to pass or update battery EPR laws, we can expect to see programs expand to include the full spectrum of battery products available to consumers,” he says.

This is the sixth EPR law to pass in Illinois, with the former initiatives focused on different harmful waste types – auto switches, mercury thermostats, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paint, and now batteries, says Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria) chief sponsor of SB 3686.

“The success of these previous initiatives in Illinois, and throughout the country, helped push this method of environmental stewardship to apply to other contaminants,” he says.

Koehler points to Vermont who passed the first EPR law in 2014. The state increased collection of both single-use and rechargeable batteries by more than 180 percent in the first year of implementation.

Washington, D.C.; California; Washington State; and New Jersey are among those that went on to pass similar measures, most that expanded the scope of batteries to be collected.

“My team, local stakeholders, and members of the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee reflected on these similar initiatives when developing policy and believe we developed a law that embodies the best elements of other states’ work that were successful for them, while also addressing the needs of Illinoisans,” Koehler says.

There is more work to do. Today’s collection infrastructure is inconsistent and fairly immature –with the weight now carried by voluntary collections at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other retailers; local governments; and household hazardous waste facilities and events. But the stewardship act is anticipated to help close the gap to be sure wasted batteries end up where they belong then bring them back into the supply chain.

Next steps include kicking off battery collections under the IEPA/DOE grant program, supporting Call2Recycle in identifying collection sites, and continuing to build consumer awareness.

Says Seibert: “We are eager for January 1, 2026 to arrive for program collections to begin.”