Single-use and rechargeable batteries power many products in our lives, including phones, toys, and tools. Global efforts to stabilize our climate have resulted in an increase in the use of electric bikes, scooters, and vehicles — and the batteries that power them. Because of their ability to run longer between charges, relative light weight, and adaptability, lithium-ion batteries, in particular, are proliferating. With them has come an increase in explosions and fires in waste management facilities. Extended producer responsibility for batteries provides an effective solution to preventing fires and environmental contamination, recovering valuable critical minerals, reducing greenhouse gases, and creating recycling jobs. During the webinar, we’ll discuss:

• Successes and challenges of the only single-use and rechargeable battery EPR law in the U.S. that also addresses battery-containing products.
• A long-standing battery EPR law in British Columbia, Canada.
• Current practices and proposed revisions to the European Union Battery Directive.
• PSI’s battery model EPR legislation.
• Emerging policy innovations based on cutting-edge best practices from the U.S. and beyond.