The Oregon State Legislature passed a new recycling law to help protect people and the environment from the impacts of batteries. House Bill 4144 joins several existing extended producer responsibility laws in Oregon, which require companies to implement recycling or safe disposal solutions for the products they make and sell. 

After the new law takes effect, battery manufacturers will be responsible for funding and managing a statewide battery recycling program that will launch in 2029. The program must include battery recycling drop-off locations that are accessible to people across Oregon.

The law will also prohibit batteries from being discarded in the trash. This is an important element of the law that aims to prevent fires from breaking out in garbage trucks and at waste facilities. Certain types of batteries cause frequent fires, which puts garbage and recycling workers in danger and results in costly damage.

“Metro is proud to have helped lead an effort that resulted in such an unprecedented level of cooperation across local governments, waste companies and environmental organizations,” said Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang. “Battery-related fires are not endemic to a single community, city or region. And they don’t discriminate between the public and private sector. They put all of us in very real danger and threaten irreparable damage to the environment, which is what brought so many different groups together to address this critical issue on a statewide level.”

Metro and Lane County regularly contend with battery-related fires at waste facilities. In 2025 alone, Metro’s two transfer stations experienced a combined total of 61 fires, 58 of which were caused by batteries that had been mixed in with loads of garbage. Lane County saw 56 battery-related fires at Short Mountain Landfill that same year.

In response to the steady occurrence of battery-related fires, Metro and Lane County worked together to advocate for the statewide battery recycling law. The two local governments co-led the effort to develop the legislation with the strong support of Oregon State Representative Emerson Levy (HD–53) and in close partnership with the Association of Oregon Recyclers and Oregon Refuse & Recycling Association. Several environmental organizations and other local governments also voiced support.

“It has been refreshing to work with so many partners who hold the same values around safety and responsibility when it comes to battery disposal,” said Lane County Waste Reduction Manager Angie Marzano. “This legislation is poised to create a system that safeguards people who work in the solid waste industry, customers, and the environment from the dangers posed by improper battery disposal.”

While the new statewide battery recycling program will not take effect until 2029, people across Oregon can take steps now to make sure that batteries are discarded safely:

For people living in greater Portland:

• Bring batteries – and anything with a rechargeable battery that cannot be removed easily – to a Metro household hazardous waste facility for free and safe disposal. People can also check with their local hauler to see if they have battery collection options at home.

• Use Metro’s Find a Recycler search tool to locate a battery disposal drop-off location.   
• For additional questions, visit oregonmetro.gov/AskMetro or call 503-234-3000 to speak directly with Metro staff. Staff are available to answer questions in English and Spanish from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional languages available upon request.

For people living in Lane County: 

• Batteries – including regular alkaline, button, rechargeable alkaline, ni-Cad, lithium, and silver oxide – can be recycled at Lane County transfer stations, Bi-Mart, True Value in Eugene and Florence, and most battery and electronics stores.
• Visit Lane County’s Waste Wise App search tool for recycling locations and guidance on how to responsibly dispose of a variety of materials.

About Metro
Metro serves more than 1.7 million people in the greater Portland area. In addition to managing the Oregon Convention Center, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland Expo Center and Oregon Zoo, Metro also manages the region’s garbage and recycling system, protects clean water and air at more than 19,000 acres of parks and natural areas, oversees long-range planning across 24 cities and 3 counties, and is supporting construction of more than 5,300 affordable homes region-wide with more on the way.

About Waste Wise Lane County

Waste Wise Lane County—a part of the Lane County Government’s Waste Management Division—empowers residents, schools, and businesses with education, tools, and resources that can be used to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. For more information, visit lanecountyor.gov/wastewise.