Development of Best Practices for Collection of Batteries To Be Recycled and Voluntary Battery Labeling Guidelines; Request for Information

Issuing agencies

Abstract

EPA is developing best practices with respect to the collection of batteries to be recycled, as well as establishing a program to promote battery recycling through the development of voluntary labeling guidelines for batteries and communication materials for battery producers and consumers as directed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. To aid in the implementation of these directives, the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requests information on the end-of-life management of batteries, including information on their generation, collection, recycling, reuse, as well as the current labeling standards/requirements for batteries regarding their end-of- life. EPA is interested in both single-use batteries, also known as primary batteries, and rechargeable batteries, also known as secondary batteries. This includes lithium based, nickel-metal hydride, and other battery chemistries, as well as all battery types, such as small consumer batteries, large format batteries (including electric vehicles and grid energy storage), and industrial batteries used in manufacturing, commercial businesses, and healthcare operations. ORCR is also seeking information about how consumers, businesses, entities in the vehicle management chain (dealerships, repair shops, auction houses, dismantlers, entities that repurpose electric vehicle batteries, refurbishers, and scrap yards), and others are educated on how to manage batteries at the end-of-life. Information from a wide range of stakeholders involved in the battery lifecycle from its manufacture to its end-of-life management, including but not limited to industry stakeholders, researchers, academia, state, tribal, and local governments including U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, other federal agencies, community groups, non-governmental organizations, the public, and international organizations.