Amid disposal hazards, Michigan lawmakers consider creating battery recycling program

Michigan House members David Martin and Tyron Carter are pushing bills to create a battery stewardship program requiring sellers and distributors to fund collection systems for end-of-life batteries, after testimony that improperly discarded lithium batteries cause roughly 5,000 fires a year at recycling facilities nationally. Washtenaw County's public works director told the committee trash trucks have dumped their loads in parking lots more than once this year after battery fires, and Michigan residents throw away an estimated 11,000 tons of batteries annually, including 29 million lithium-ion units.

The bills would require stewardship organizations to provide free, convenient statewide collection, with costs falling on manufacturers or sellers rather than customers or local governments. The Michigan Manufacturers Association opposed the measure, arguing it imposes uncapped costs on producers without building on existing systems, while fire officials and recycling advocates backed it as a straightforward safety and supply-chain fix. The committee took testimony only and did not vote.

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