The State of Washington is the latest jurisdiction to pass portable all-battery EPR legislation that will mandate the collection and recycling primary and rechargeable batteries starting in 2027. California passed similar legislation in 2022 and Washington, DC passed legislation in 2020. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is expected to sign into law SB 5144 that PRBA has been working on since October 2022.
SB 5144 has many similarities to the California and Washington, DC all-battery EPR laws. That is, the bill requires starting in 2027 the collection and recycling of standalone and easily removable “portable” primary and rechargeable batteries. However, SB 5144 is different from the California and Washington, DC laws in that it also mandates starting in 2029 the collection and recycling of standalone and easily removable “medium format” rechargeable batteries up to 2,000 Watt-hours or 25 pounds, and “medium format” primary batteries up to 25 pounds.
SB 5144 also requires the Department of Ecology to submit by November 30, 2023 to the appropriate legislative Committees preliminary policy recommendations for the collection and management of electric vehicle batteries. And by April 30, 2024, the Department must report final policy recommendations to these Committees.
For more information, contact PRBA Executive Director George Kerchner at 202.719.4109 or [email protected]. To become a member of the PRBA, click here.