April 6, 2026 (Augusta, ME) – A bill to make it easier to recycle lithium-ion and single-use batteries in Maine has been signed into law by Governor Janet Mills.
LD 474 updates the state’s product stewardship laws to require that manufacturers help set up recycling programs for these batteries so they can be safely disposed of and rare earth metals can be extracted for reuse.
Improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries commonly found in power tools, vaping devices, or cell phone chargers, has led to at least 24 fires at recycling facilities in Maine and driven up costs for towns because of increased insurance rates, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
“More than 820,000 pounds of batteries are thrown away in Maine every year, and without a safe way to dispose of them and recapture some of the essential metals for reuse, we’re putting our future at risk,” said Vanessa Berry, Sustainable Maine Program Manager at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Holding corporate battery makers accountable for cleaning up waste will make our neighborhoods safer, lower costs for Mainers, and help curb demand for mining rare earth metals.”
Maine’s current battery recovery program enacted in 1991 only covers nickel cadmium batteries, and this new law expands it to include a broad range of everyday primary and rechargeable consumer batteries.
LD 474 will require national battery manufacturing companies to set up convenient drop-off locations and fund a statewide take-back program so that doing the right thing is easier for everyone. Eight other states have already implemented similar laws.
