SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Many people throw away old batteries when they need a replacement for their electronics, but Illinois lawmakers are trying to create a new way for people to recycle batteries so they won't end up in landfills.

Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said his plan calls for a stewardship program to ensure proper handling, recycling and end-of-life management for used portable and medium-format batteries. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would be responsible for implementing, administering and enforcing the program.

"Having grandkids that have a lot of toys and things, you collect your used batteries," Koehler said Thursday. "I used to take them to my local Lowe's store. They took them for a while. Then, all of a sudden, they didn't. What am I supposed to do with these?"

Producers selling or distributing batteries in Illinois would be required to participate in an approved stewardship plan starting January 1, 2026. Retail stores would also no longer be allowed to sell batteries unless their producer participates in the Illinois battery stewardship program by July 1, 2026. 

Communities around the world have successfully implemented battery stewardship laws to help address the challenge.

"It's a public safety bill to reduce the risk of fire and the risk of loss of human life to any fires at facilities and in trucks," said Christina Seibert, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County. "But also, it's a mechanism to recapture these valuable materials and reproduce them into new batteries and reduce the mining of those resources." 

Each battery stewardship organization would be required to provide education through a website and periodic press releases. The legislation also calls for the groups to put advertisements on social media and other platforms to help spread awareness about the recycling program. 

If enacted, the plan states that battery stewardship organizations must pay an annual $100,000 fee to help the Illinois EPA administer the program. Fees would go directly to the agency's solid waste management fund. 

The Illinois Manufacturers' Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association support this plan.

Senate Bill 3686 passed unanimously out of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee and now moves to the Senate floor. The Senate could vote on this plan when lawmakers return to Springfield next Wednesday. 

Copyright 2024. WAND TV. All rights reserved.