September 9, 2024: Battery sellers and distributors operating in the US state of Illinois will be required to develop a recycling stewardship program for their products by 2026 under new legislation.

Governor JB Pritzker signed the Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act on August 9.

The new law stipulates, in part, the need to manage recycling of all battery types to improve safety and prevent mishandling and fire risks.

Action to stop batteries used in a range of products, including e-scooters, being incorrectly sent to solid waste processing plants, is called for under the new law.

The law comes into effect on January 1, 2026, and will require battery producers to fund and manage the collection, transportation, and recycling of portable primary and rechargeable batteries as well as medium format batteries that the act defines as weighing between 4.4 and 25 pounds.

From January 2027, labels containing details of the battery producer must be affixed to batteries, unless the battery is less than one-half inch in diameter or does not contain a surface whose length exceeds one-half inch.

From January 2029, batteries must be labelled with detailed collection and recycling information, including identifying the battery chemistry and indicating correct disposal methods.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will oversee and ensure compliance with the program.

According to the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the national non-profit association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders, this is the sixth extended producer responsibility law introduced in Illinois and raises the total number of battery EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) laws in the US to 16.

State senator Dave Koehler, who sponsored the draft legislation with fellow Democrat and state representative Sharon Chung, said the new law will also ensure residents have access to recycling centers and force battery distributors to take measures to deal with potential harm from their products.