Bill > HB1602

This bill establishes a comprehensive battery recycling stewardship program in New Hampshire that requires producers of covered batteries and battery-containing products to participate in an approved stewardship organization and plan. Beginning July 1, 2028, producers must ensure safe collection, recycling, and management of portable and medium-format batteries through a battery stewardship organization, which will be responsible for developing and implementing a detailed plan approved by the Department of Environmental Services. The plan must include provisions for free, convenient, and accessible battery collection sites statewide, education and outreach efforts, performance goals, and environmentally sound management practices. Retailers will be prohibited from selling batteries from producers not participating in an approved plan, and battery stewardship organizations must fund all program costs, including collection, transportation, processing, education, and administrative expenses. The program covers various types of portable and medium-format batteries, with specific exemptions for certain battery types like those in medical devices or motor vehicles, and aims to improve battery recycling rates while ensuring safety and environmental responsibility. The Department of Environmental Services will oversee the program, review plans, maintain a public list of participating producers, and provide technical assistance, with the costs of administration reimbursed by the battery stewardship organizations.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=2403&inflect=2