RE: [greenyes] Collection and recycling of batteries? (long)

["Dan De Grassi" <dpw180@no.address>]

In California, Section 25216.3 of the Health and Safety Code deals with dry cell batteries. Senate Bill 2146, enacted in 2000, made changes to that law. Dry cell batteries are not hazardous waste and as such have a free ride to the landfill. A synopsis is below.

SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  SB 2146|
Office of Senate Floor Analyses   

1.  Purpose of Bill  .  SB 1924 (McPherson) in 1998 established  
            the exemption from regulation for dry cell batteries  
            containing zinc that is now in effect.  The bill was  
            sponsored by the Dry Cell Battery Section of the National  
            Electrical Manufacturers Association, the same group that  
            is sponsoring this bill.

          At the time SB 1924 was being considered, it was believed  
            that the only constituent of dry cell batteries that  
            would cause their classification as hazardous waste in  
            California was zinc and that the exemption enacted by  
            that bill applied to all common dry cell batteries,  
            including alkaline batteries.  It now appears, however,  
            that one of the electrodes in alkaline batteries, a brass  
            nail (brass is a metal alloy made of copper and zinc),  
            and the alkaline electrolyte may also cause dry cell  
            batteries to be classified as hazardous waste when  
            California criteria and testing methods are used.

          The purpose of this bill is to amend the exemption criteria  
            for dry cell batteries so that the exemption from  
            regulation enacted several years ago will apply to all  
            common household batteries, including alkaline batteries.

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd R. Coy [mailto:tcoy@no.address]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 1:36 PM
To: Alan Muller
Cc: Green Eyes
Subject: Re: [greenyes] Collection and recycling of batteries? (long)


".....................................The biggest issue surrounding the recycling of non rechargeable batteries is
the lack of control laws which require the collection of these batteries.
Without the infrastructure in place efficient collection cannot occur, thus
driving cost upward.  Obviously, if commercial facilities cannot reach
economies of scale then the costs associated with recycling "recyclable"
batteries remains high, and cost prohibitive for most organizations. 

For instance, in California common household batteries are regulated as a hazardous
waste......................"