Key battery industry leaders’ talk in Hartford on Thursday marked the first occasion when diverse interest groups converged and revealed an all battery recycling bill.
Corporation for Battery Recycling (CBR), The Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA), the leading manufacturers from National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and Call2Recycle, Inc. agreed in taking shared responsibility for collecting and recycling all used primary, single-use and rechargeable batteries.
The meeting was the first occasion where CBR-member companies, such as Energizer, Duracell, and Panasonic, convened to collaboratively discuss the battery recycling agenda.
Product stewardship has been a major component of Connecticut’s recycling initiative. The state already has program for mattresses, electronic waste, and paint in place, and environmental leaders are looking toward batteries and carpet as the next step.
The group’s new model bill covers consumer battery waste, which includes batteries in home smoke alarms, remote devices, or portable electronic equipment.
Among the main goals are to help increase consumer convenience, protect the environment, boost state and regional economies, and save money for both governments and the battery industries, said Scott Cassel, founder and CEO of PSI in the mission statement of the meeting.
The bill is a follow up to a Vermont legislation that established the first single-use battery stewardship requirement in the U.S earlier this year.
