New State Battery Recycling Law Boosts Safety, Consumer Protections

HB 4144 establishes a producer-funded recycling system to prevent lithium battery fires and expand safe disposal options. Lane County Waste Management played a key role in its creation and passage.

Lane County Waste Reduction Program Supervisor Angie Marzano believes companies have a responsibility that extends beyond the cash register. Businesses, she says, should ensure their products do not overburden the environment or consumer wallets, especially regarding safe and accessible recycling and disposal.

This concept—referred to as extended producer responsibility (EPR)—is not new to Oregonians.

Perhaps most famously, the 1971 Oregon Bottle Bill was the first EPR program in the U.S., requiring beverage distributors to fund container recycling. And just last year, the Recycling Modernization Act began requiring producers to support recycling plastic and paper packaging. The EPR concept has extended to other materials in recent years, including mattresses and electronics.

Marzano knows the state’s EPR history well and said she wanted to bring the same concept to batteries.

“Batteries—especially lithium-ion batteries—are showing up in the waste stream more often and can cause fires in recycling facilities, trucks, and landfills if they are disposed of improperly,” Marzano said. 

And now—thanks in part to the work of Marzano and Lane County Waste Reduction Specialist Maya Buelow—the Oregon State Legislature passed a new recycling law (HB 4144) to help protect people and the environment from the impacts of batteries. Along with colleagues at Metro, Marzano and Buelow helped develop the legislative concept and worked with lawmakers, state agencies, and partners to design a practical system for safely collecting and recycling batteries across Oregon.

This new law, effective in 2029, requires battery producers to fund and manage statewide safe battery collection and recycling programs. It ensures accessible drop-off locations for battery recycling, and protects workers, facilities, and the environment by reducing improper disposal and associated risks.

“By creating a statewide battery stewardship system, Oregon can recover valuable materials while reducing fire risk and environmental harm,” Marzano said.

“Perhaps most importantly, the law will prohibit batteries from being discarded in the trash to prevent fires in garbage trucks and at waste facilities, which is a growing problem,” said Buelow. “Just last year, the county recorded 56 lithium battery fires at Short Mountain Landfill.”

Until the law is enacted, Marzano and Buelow urge county residents to use Lane County’s Waste Wise App search tool for recycling locations and guidance on how to responsibly dispose of various materials, including batteries.

“This legislation is another example of Oregon’s leadership in extended producer responsibility—ensuring that companies help manage products responsibly at the end of their life,” Marzano said.

By Daniel Hiestand

Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator