SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, KENNEDY ANNOUNCE $2.3+ MILLION FOR ERIE COUNTY TO SUPERCHARGE ITS BATTERY RECYCLING PROGRAM VIA THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE & JOBS LAW
Funding Will Support Erie County’s Efforts To Collect 1 Million Pounds Of Batteries, Keeping Them Out Of Landfills, Which Risks Community Safety & Pollutes The Environment – Instead Recycling Them Into New Rechargeable Batteries
Schumer, Gillibrand, Kennedy: Our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law Is Helping Power A Cleaner Future For Erie County
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Tim Kennedy today announced $2,375,262 in federal funding for Erie County to bolster its battery recycling program to collect and repurpose old batteries, keeping them out of landfills and turning them into new, rechargeable batteries. The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s State and Local Battery Recycling Program, which is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law that Schumer led to passage in the Senate.
“I’m proud to deliver $2.3+ million for Erie County to supercharge its battery recycling program,” said Senator Schumer. “Thanks to this new investment from our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, Erie County will lead the charge to collect old batteries and recycle them into new, rechargeable batteries. When batteries from everyday electronics end up in landfills it pollutes our environment and risks public safety, but this will boost Erie County to turn these old batteries into something new. America can’t keep relying on batteries made overseas, and plans like Erie County’s will strengthen our domestic battery supply chain, while helping power a cleaner future for all.”
“Improperly disposed batteries typically end up in landfills, where they take years to decompose and often release harmful chemicals into the environment,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By creating a collection system for all types of batteries and educating the public about the importance of proper battery disposal, the BEAR Program will help keep rechargeable batteries out of Erie County landfills and recycling facilities, reducing risks to sanitation workers and the environment. I’m proud to have helped secure this funding, and I look forward to seeing its positive impact on Erie County.”
“This investment will transform the way people in Erie County recycle their household batteries, keeping more of these products out of landfills and in our critical mineral supply chain to propel EV accessibility,” said Congressman Kennedy. “This program will also educate consumers on proper disposal to protect first responder and sanitation workers from potential hazards of battery byproducts. I’m especially pleased that this program will be carried out by a Buffalo-based minority and woman owned small business—empowering our community for generations to come.”
The lawmakers explained that Erie County’s Battery Education and Recycling (BEAR) program aims to create a robust and equitable collection system for consumer batteries of all types through drop-off kiosks, collection partners, and collection events. In the next five years, Erie County aims for 1 million pounds of batteries to be collected for recycling, and it is estimated that 30% of that total will be rechargeable batteries. The BEAR Program will support the establishment of a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals essential to electric vehicle batteries by investing in the recycling of batteries and battery-containing devices.
The pilot plans to launch the battery collection and recycling program first in Erie County and then throughout New York State via the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The program will also educate members of the community about items in their home and property that contain rechargeable batteries, safe handling of rechargeable batteries, and the fire and safety hazards that can be associated with the batteries. The lawmakers said the program seeks to keep rechargeable batteries out of landfills and recycling facilities, reducing risks to first responders and sanitation workers and releases of hazardous materials into the environment.
“Battery recycling is a critical component of a cleaner environment and gives residents an easy way to avoid contaminating groundwater by disposing of used batteries safely. Too often, household batteries wind up in the trash because people are unaware that a recycling option exists, so the BEAR program addresses this need head on,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I thank Senator Schumer for his support of this pilot initiative and look forward to great results and a cleaner environment for the future.”
“Erie County has a long history of collaborating with partners to deliver solid and hazardous waste collection programs for County residents. Collecting and recycling batteries has always been a challenge. With his funding from DOE and Senator Schumer, Erie County will work with the NYS Center for Sustainable Materials Management and the Monarch of Infinite Possibilities, a local woman-owned business that has a proven track record of community outreach and engagement, to expand our efforts to provide this critical new service to all Erie County residents and several SUNY campuses,” said Daniel Castle, Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning.
"For too long, many communities that have been disproportionately impacted, have been left out of environmentally-related conversations like these. The Monarch of Infinite Possibilities welcomes a chance to bring faith-based stakeholders to the table to learn about the global impact recycling lithium batteries will make as we collectively take actionable steps to save our planet and make the environment safe for generations to come as stewards of the earth," said Faustenia Morrow, Principal of Monarch of Infinite Possibilities.
The federal funding announced today comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s State and Local Battery Recycling Program which is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law which Schumer led to passage in the Senate provides $6 billion for federal incentives to build a domestic battery production industry and a battery mineral supply chain industry, bolstering domestic battery production and shoring up the American supply chain for batteries and energy storage technology that is often reliant on foreign sources.
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