PRBA-The Rechargeable Battery Association recently participated in the 9th World Rechargeable Battery Regulatory Forum (WRBRF), joining the leaders from RECHARGE (the Advanced Rechargeable and Lithium Batteries Industry Association in Europe), the Battery Association of Japan (BAJ) and the Korea Battery Industry Association (KBIA).
The WRBRF 2021conference, held virtually March 30-31, focused on the many issues confronting the rechargeable battery and recycling industries, including battery collection and recycling legislative proposals, battery safety, dangerous goods transportation regulations, export restrictions, International Fire Code proposals on lithium battery storage requirements, and battery testing standards.
“The battery industry is a global industry. The WRBRF as always provided an unparalleled opportunity for leaders of the international battery community to discuss ongoing regulatory developments in Asia, Europe and the United States,” PRBA Executive Director George Kerchner said.
Kerchner discussed recent regulatory developments in the United States, specifically federal and state battery collection and recycling legislation, implications of OSHA’s proposed rulemaking on lithium ion batteries, and fire code proposals relevant to the collection and storage of lithium batteries.
With the head of RECHARGE, Kerchner also spoke about global transport regulations and proposals to amend these regulations, including a UN working group developing new classification and testing requirements for lithium batteries.