Call to Recycle told Kane County officials on Aug. 15 that Illinois' new Battery Stewardship Act requires battery manufacturers to fund an end-of-life program for portable batteries and that the statewide program is scheduled to begin on 01/01/2026. "The producers are now not only responsible for...the end of life of that product as well," said Roxanne Pikes, director of state stewardship programs for Call to Recycle.

Why it matters: organizers said the program reduces hazardous waste, conserves metals, and cuts fire risk at recycling facilities and in homes. Pikes said batteries are “the most frequently identified cause of fires in recycling facilities when a cause can be identified.” She described a producer-pay funding model in which manufacturers report sales by weight through a portal called GreenTrax and remit fees calculated per-100-gram increments.

Program details presented to the committee included: coverage for portable, removable batteries (single-use and rechargeable up to about 11 pounds), inclusion of medium-format batteries used in e-bikes and outdoor power tools (roughly 11–25 pounds), a landfill ban for batteries that will take effect Jan. 26 (per the presentation), and separate producer responsibility for product recalls. Pikes said the program is free for municipalities and household hazardous waste sites because producers cover collection and recycling costs.

County staff and committee members discussed logistics and next steps. Claire (staff member) said the county would serve as an outreach partner and would link to an interactive map of collection sites when locations are finalized. Staff and Pikes discussed larger steel “one-drum” containers (capacity cited as roughly 500 pounds) and smaller battery boxes (capacity cited as about 66 pounds) for events and drop-off sites. "We can send 4 on a pallet at a time," Pikes said of the drums; Claire said the county expects heavy initial volumes and suggested starting with multiple drums at Fabian.

Questions from committee members and public commenters focused on enforcement, cost distribution and local costs or revenues. Roxanne Pikes said retail sales in Illinois will be limited to brands whose producers participate in the program; she said the program already lists more than 600 participating brands. On county costs and revenue, Claire said, "There’s technically income to the county for collecting them... I think the last I heard, it was 20¢ a pound." David Young, a public commenter, asked whether the program would cost the county; Pikes and staff said collection equipment and program services are provided through producer funding, though municipalities may receive a modest per-pound token to offset handling.

Enforcement and compliance measures described included periodic audits at sorting facilities to identify nonparticipating brands and outreach to major online sellers to stop sales of noncompliant products. Pikes acknowledged some "free riders" may persist but said audits and retailer engagement are the primary compliance tools. She also said recalls are handled separately by manufacturers and are not part of the Stewardship Act’s routine collection program.

Next steps and county directions captured during the meeting: staff said they will consider placing multiple drums at the Fabian facility, will coordinate outreach and mapping of drop-off sites, and may explore piloting collections earlier than Jan. 1 if IEPA supplemental funding (through U.S. Department of Energy support) can be used. Committee members asked staff to follow up on rollout timelines and to share the presentation slides with the committee.

Ending note: Call to Recycle and county staff encouraged public and municipal participation once the state program’s drop-off locations are posted; Pikes said the program’s goal is broad access statewide and reduced fire risk at recycling facilities.