SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): As more lithium-ion batteries and solar panels reach end of life each year, some recyclers are asking for new federal regulations to keep up with the proliferation of — or the possible dangers of — these emerging waste streams.
The U.S. EPA is considering updating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to establish distinct universal waste rules for solar panels and lithium-ion batteries. The goal is to offer more specific regulations for how to safely manage materials that are currently languishing in a regulatory grey area.
The EPA’s universal waste designation is meant to make collection and storage easier than what the process would be like under more strict hazardous waste rules. In general terms, handlers of universal wastes don’t need to meet the same regulatory and paperwork requirements as hazardous waste, such as providing a manifest or obtaining a certain permit. Universal wastes may also be stored for longer periods or at higher volumes.
Ubiquitous items like batteries, pesticides, lamps and mercury-containing equipment are managed as universal waste, and aerosol cans were most recently added in 2019.
Proponents say a specific universal waste designation for lithium-ion batteries and solar panels could make regulatory pathways more straightforward, which could in turn make recycling safer and help the industry collect more material, including critical minerals.
In 2023, EPA first announced it planned to introduce a draft rule encompassing both lithium batteries and solar panels, but that has not yet been published. The EPA’s unified agenda currently lists the estimated final rule date for August 2027.
EPA officials told participants at the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials’ annual meeting in Virginia last week that a draft rule was still in the works and might be published sometime in the spring for public comment.
“Our focus is getting the rulemaking out as fast as we can within our process,” said Kathy Lett, an EPA environmental protection specialist in the agency’s RCRA office, during the meeting.
Courtesy: www.wastedive.com
