Battery Reclamation Manual

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Battery Collection
3. Battery Reclamation
4. Point-of-Sale Notices
5. Battery Management Plans
6. Battery & Product Labeling
7. Battery Transportation
8. United States Federal Laws
9. United States State Laws
   1. Alabama
   2. Alaska
   3. Arizona
   4. Arkansas
   5. California
   6. Colorado
   7. Connecticut
   8. Delaware
   9. Florida
   10. Georgia
   11. Hawaii
   12. Idaho
   13. Illinois
   14. Indiana
   15. Iowa
   16. Kansas
   17. Kentucky
   18. Louisiana
   19. Maine
   20. Maryland
   21. Massachusetts
   22. Michigan
   23. Minnesota
   24. Mississippi
   25. Missouri
   26. Montana
   27. Nebraska
   28. Nevada
   29. New Hampshire
   30. New Jersey
   31. New Mexico
   32. New York
   33. North Carolina
   34. North Dakota
   35. Ohio
   36. Oklahoma
   37. Oregon
   38. Pennsylvania
   39. Rhode Island
   40. South Carolina
   41. South Dakota
   42. Tennessee
   43. Texas
   44. Utah
   45. Vermont
   46. Virginia
   47. Washington
   48. West Virginia
   49. Wisconsin
   50. Wyoming
   51. Puerto Rico
10. United States Local Laws
11. Laws of Other Nations
    1. Canada
    2. Japan
    3. European Union
    4. Great Britain
    5. Australia
    6. Netherlands

A. INTRODUCTION

Many nations and states have laws regulating rechargeable batteries. This manual is designed to help PRBA Members comply with these laws in an environmentally sound manner. You should consult legal counsel to be sure the laws in this manual are current and for an interpretation of how these and/or other laws apply to your company or product.

This manual includes only those laws that may apply to batteries or products that are both portable and rechargeable. This includes small sealed lead-acid ("SSLA") batteries, nickel-cadmium ("Ni-Cd") batteries and rechargeable batteries of other chemistries, containing a gel or liquid starved electrolyte, weighing 25 pounds or less. Laws that do not apply to one or more of these types of batteries are not included in this manual.

Set forth in Section B are tables summarizing battery collection requirements for SSLA batteries and Ni-Cd batteries. The tables indicate which states require battery collection, point-of-sale notices, and battery deposits, taxes or fees. Copies of the laws upon which these tables are based are found in Section I.

Section C provides information on battery disposal and reclamation; a list of battery recyclers with whom you may make arrangements for battery reclamation; and a list of secondary lead battery smelters located throughout Europe and the United States.

Section D is a summary of the point-of-sale notices required by each state. Copies of the laws which require these notices are found in Section I.

Section E contains copies of the PRBA battery management plans or battery collection pilot programs on file in states requiring such programs. Section E also contains a copy of RBRC's National Battery Management Plan, Recycling America's Rechargeable Batteries. This plan has been filed with all 50 U.S. states.

Section F contains tables summarizing labeling and other requirements for rechargeable batteries, rechargeable consumer products, and their packaging. Copies of the state laws upon which these table are based are found in Section I. A copy of the federal law is included in Section H.

Section G contains statutes, regulations and agreements pertaining to the shipment of batteries by air, truck or rail, and includes international shipping requirements.

Section H contains battery related United States federal statutes and regulations, other than selected labeling (section F) and transportation (section G) requirements.

Section I includes copies of the United States state statutes and regulations that apply to batteries. For states that have conducted studies of dry cell battery disposal, the executive summary of the study is provided whenever possible. The model legislation upon which most state statutes are based is included at the beginning of Section I.

Section J includes local (county or city) statutes and regulations that apply to batteries.

Section K includes selected laws of other nations that apply to batteries, tables summarizing the requirements of the laws, and discussion of the scope and application of the laws.

Because statutes and regulations frequently change, this manual will be updated regularly.