The issue of battery stewardship is gaining momentum during Washington State’s 2022 legislative session. The Haz Waste Program’s Policy and Planning Team has been contributing to the conversation with a hazardous waste management perspective.
On Tuesday, January 25th, the Program’s Policy and Planning Advisor, Ashley Evans testified to the House Environment & Energy Committee offering support for HB 1896, which provides for the responsible environmental management of batteries by creating the structure for a statewide battery stewardship program funded by battery manufacturers.
The Haz Waste Program joined several other organizations across Washington in support of the bill, including Zero Waste Washington, the Basel Action Network, Kitsap County, City of Tacoma, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Association of Washington Cities, and the Washington State Association of Counties.
The Haz Waste Program maintains that a battery stewardship program will:
- Provide safer disposal options at no cost for residents
- Reduce government and ratepayer costs
- Increase the number of batteries recycled
- Lower fire risk at waste management facilities, improving employee safety
- Decrease environmental pollution across the state
To hear the Program’s official statement, follow this link and click “View Video” (starting at 01:28:50).
And for more information on battery stewardship and the importance of disposing batteries properly, you can download our battery stewardship fact sheet or check out the Program’s recent battery product stewardship blog post.
Along with a number of other bills related to hazardous waste and product stewardship, the Haz Waste Policy and Planning Team will continue to monitor and share updates on the progression of this battery stewardship legislation throughout the remainder of the 2022 session.