Contact:
Scott Cassel, Product Stewardship Institute: (617) 513-3954, scott@productstewardship.us
Springfield, IL – On August 9, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law the Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act, SB 3686, which will create a statewide program that requires battery producers to fund and manage the collection, transportation, and recycling of portable primary and rechargeable batteries (e.g., from cell phones, TV remote controls, and small power tools), as well as medium format batteries (e.g., from bicycles, hoverboards, and scooters).
This “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) bill was introduced by Illinois State Senator David Koehler and co-sponsored by 16 other state legislators. It marks Illinois’ sixth EPR law and raises the total number of battery EPR laws in the U.S. to 16. Taking effect on January 1, 2026, the law mandates that companies selling or distributing batteries in the state participate in a battery stewardship plan, which implements the law. A stewardship plan(s) must be submitted by July 1, 2025, for approval by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), which will oversee the program and ensure compliance.
Batteries contain valuable materials such as steel, manganese, and zinc that are mined using energy-intensive processes that emit greenhouse gases. Recently, lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power an increasing number of products, have caused fires at waste management facilities that have resulted in millions of dollars in damage, worker injuries, and tragic deaths. Stewardship programs, like the one enacted in Illinois, will save resources and reduce environmental and human health impacts.
‘’This new EPR law is an impactful win for Illinois, delivering needed collection convenience for consumers, reduced risk of fires at waste and recycling facilities, and enhanced public safety by removing toxins from the waste stream,” said Christina Seibert, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, a key bill advocate. “The Product Stewardship Institute’s (PSI’s) battery EPR policy model and technical expertise provided a strong foundation, supporting us in crafting a bill that benefits all Illinois residents and the environment.’’ Seibert is also a PSI board member.
‘‘This bill will result in an efficient and effective program that recovers valuable materials, reduces the growing risk of lithium-ion battery fires, and removes toxics from the waste stream,’’ said Walter Willis, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, also a vital bill advocate and PSI board member. “We appreciate the engagement of IEPA, the Rechargeable Battery Association, Call2Recycle, the Illinois Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association, Illinois Manufacturers Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and PSI in crafting this bill in a collaborative way that gained broad legislative support.”
“Illinois’ new law demonstrates the power of partnerships,” said Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of the Product Stewardship Institute. “Each stakeholder brought their unique expertise and perspective into the bill development process that led a unified bill that garnered widespread acceptance, paving the way for its speedy passage.”
The bill was developed with technical support from PSI staff and incorporated best practices from PSI’s battery EPR policy model, which also shaped similar recent laws enacted in Washington D.C., California, Washington State, and Vermont. The Illinois law earned significant support from a broad array of stakeholders, including local governments across the state, the Illinois Product Stewardship Council, Illinois Recycling Association and Foundation, the National Waste and Recycling Association, and the Rechargeable Battery Association.
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Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)
PSI is a policy expert and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States. Since 2000, PSI has helped enact 140 extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws across 19 product categories in 33 states — the bedrock on which the circular economy is built. We work with businesses, nonprofits, academia, and governments to ensure that products are responsibly managed from design to end of life. Join us at www.productstewardship.us.