Anderson testifies on Intro 352 rechargeable battery disposal
Anderson says rechargeable batteries from powered mobility devices cause fires in trucks and facilities. He notes DSNY's special waste drop-off sites and safe events but says expanding collection would require additional resources and that battery manufacturers should bear more responsibility.
Intro 352 sponsored by Councilmember Nurse would require DSNY to develop a plan for ensuring proper disposal of rechargeable batteries from powered mobility devices.
These batteries represent a major problem for sanitation and our partners, causing fires in our trucks and our facilities when they are improperly disposed of.
DSNY currently offers services aligned with the spirit of this legislation.
We recently expanded the operating hours of our special waste drop-off sites and now have one location in every borough that accepts rechargeable batteries, electronics, paint, and automotive products five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, from 9 a.m.
To 3 p.m.
Adding a second site in each borough and further expanding those hours would require substantial additional resources.
The proposed bill also calls for DSNY to accept these items at any
or collection event organized by the department.
And while we do collect them at our safe events, one per borough per year, including one coming up this weekend on Staten Island,
it would be impractical to collect them at all department-sponsored events without additional funding or material support from the rechargeable battery industry.
And we do believe that battery manufacturers should be primarily responsible for the cost of collecting unwanted batteries and educating the public on safe use and disposal.
Many rechargeable batteries, but importantly, excluding those in e-mobility devices, are already covered by a New York State Extended Producer Responsibility and Retailer Take-Back Program.
This law requires that all stores that sell rechargeable batteries or items that contain them must also collect them for recycling, and the cost of that program is borne by battery manufacturers.
The state recently enacted legislation to expand this producer responsibility program to include e-mobility batteries.
Retailer take back and recycling of those items remains voluntary in the updated state law.
We are currently working with DEC, FDNY, and the program's producer responsibility organization, the Battery Network, to ensure that the producer responsibility program implemented pursuant to this law provides for sufficiently safe
and convenient collection options for New York City residents, including by providing funding for city-operated collection sites and events.
We appreciate the Council's
strong interest in this topic and we'll keep the council informed as these discussions progress.