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Home My WebLink About16.-5 (Handout) AB 2440 (Irwin) Battery Recycling Coalition Support Letter 04-04-22 Item 16. (Handout-5) * V REPUBLIC California 0 c m m ZP4stavres RCRC Waste Haulers GDuncil environmental services We'll handle it fram here:" RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA SEA,y Napa Recycling v4` 110111 1 . at Cuyof ` &WASTE SERVICES ft.- Thousand Oaks Zero Waste '�� W.Ra'a`e�Y•"Rg`�� 7 v l� W 'W 9 Company �l�s :Recycle ?VVA TN fI%I.VA • • C R RA Smart �� Ecentral•traCostaSolidWasteAathority Ending waste. at homat work•at school WESTER*i PLACER Delta Diablo ZERO ROSEYILLE WASTE CLEAN CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA s O N O M A C A L I F O R N I A / WAT E R SANITARY DISTRICT — ACTION CKnow your Environment. e)) Protect your Health. @Wg April 4, 2022 The Honorable Bill Quirk, Chair Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee 102o N Street, Room iii Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: AB 2440 (Irwin) Responsible Battery Reacling Act of 2022 — SUPPORT Dear Chair Quirk: We, the undersigned organization, are pleased to support AB 2440 (Irwin),which would create a convenient, statewide, producer-run collection and recycling program for loose and product-embedded batteries. Due to the hazardous metals and corrosive materials that batteries contain, California classifies batteries as hazardous waste and bans them from solid waste landfills.When consumers are done with their loose batteries and portable electronics, they must collect, sort, and ultimately find an appropriate disposal option. Unfortunately, California currently lacks a streamlined and convenient collection and recycling system for batteries and batteries embedded in products. Because of a combination of increased consumption and a lack of convenient disposal options,higher levels of toxic batteries and products are entering the waste stream. When improperly discarded,lithium-ion (Li-ion)batteries in particular pose serious fire, health, and safety hazards. The influx of improperly disposed of Li-ion batteries into the waste stream has resulted in an alarming number of materials recovery facilities (MRFs),waste collection trucks, and landfills experiencing fires. Oftentimes, Li-ion batteries are embedded in and irremovable from products, including portable electronics, such as phones, laptops, and power tools. When loose Li-ion batteries or Li-ion batteries embedded in products experience intense physical pressure. —which is common in California's waste processing system —the batteries can spark a fire or even explode.A 2018 California Product Stewardship Council survey found that 20 of the 26 MRFs surveyed experienced at least one fire during the previous two years, 65% of which were attributed to discarded batteries and 40% of those batteries were identified as Li-ion.l For the average consumer, it can often be difficult to distinguish between chemistries of batteries, such as alkaline, nickel cadmium, and Li-ion. Therefore, to ensure the proper disposal of all battery chemistries and reduce the fire and safety risk,AB 2440 would require free collection for most loose and product-embedded batteries at convenient locations across the state.AB 2440 would also encourage manufacturers to be more responsible for the life cycle of their products by creating a producer-run program. Lastly,AB 2440 would support a circular economy by battery recycling to the extent that is economically and technically feasible. Manufacturers must be more responsible for the products they create —both loose batteries and ones embedded in other products — if we are going to protect our workers, communities,the environment, and waste management infrastructure from battery-related fires. For these reasons, we are pleased to support AB 2440 (Irwin). Sincerely, Charles Helget Director, Government Affairs Republic Services California Product Stewardship Council,(2021).CPSC Battery Fire Report. r John Kennedy Legislative Advocate Rural County Representatives of California �11 n ..I Emily Barnett Communications &Government Relations Manager Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) Ken Etherington Executive Director RecycleSmart Delta Diablo Vince De Lange General Manager Mayor Robert Engler Mayor City of Thousand Oaks 9�— Felipe Melchor General Manager Monterey Regional Waste Management District J4& asl� Shell Cleave Founder Sea Hugger Sofia Ratcovich Chief Executive Officer Zero Waste Company Tim Dewey-Mattia Napa Recycling &Waste Services Recycling & Public Education Manager John Kelly Astor General Counsel California Waste Haulers Council Laura McKaughan President California Resource Recovery Association /' a v �� 6 ll Timothy Burroughs Executive Director StopWaste M""ff Kevin Bell Deputy Executive Director Western Placer Waste Management Authority L��--- Catherine Freeman Legislative Representative California State Association of Counties Leslie Lukacs Executive Director ZeroWasteSonoma Mayor Krista Bernasconi Mayor City of Roseville 64 PA Supervisor Nate Miley Supervisor Alameda County Kathy Wall HHW Program Manager Marin Sanitary Service/ HHW Andria Ventura Legislative and Policy Director Clean Water Action U.U.! wew Paul Relis Senior Vice President, Director of Environmental Affairs CR&R Environmental Services x e - Bill Allayaud Central California Environmental Justice Network Environmental Working Group