B&D’s Batteries group advises players throughout the battery value chain—from mining companies to manufacturers, and retailers to recyclers—on the full suite of environmental issues related to the sourcing of raw materials, product design, manufacturing, distribution and market access, collection of used products, reuse, and end-of-life management, including recycling. We also advise on battery-containing products, such as electric vehicles, utility-scale energy storage, consumer electronics, power tools, and e-bikes. B&D’s Battery Webinar Series covered topics such as EPR schemes for lithium batteries, responsible sourcing, transport, and recycling.

Representative examples of our battery EPR work include:

• Performing a worldwide review of battery EPR regulations and analyzing their applicability to electronics manufacturers' product lines.
• Counseling manufacturers on the applicability of New Jersey’s propulsion battery EPR scheme to their products and operations, as well as “producer” compliance obligations.
• Advising manufacturers of stationary energy storage devices on potential applicability of U.S. EPR schemes applicable to “batteries.”
• Counseling electronics manufacturers on the development of worldwide product recalls due to potentially defective lithium-ion batteries, compliant with the applicable dangerous goods, hazardous waste, and EPR regulations.
• Counseling U.S.-based battery recyclers on import and transport of end-of-life lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and partially recycled material (“black mass”) to be used in the circular production of new batteries at U.S. facilities.
• Tracking the development of state battery EPR legislation for leading electronics manufacturers.
• Advising on the progress of the development of a national battery EPR framework.