WAC 173-905-150

By June 1, 2028, and each June 1st thereafter, each battery stewardship organization shall submit an annual report to the department for the preceding calendar year of battery stewardship plan implementation in a format prescribed by the department. The report must contain the following information:

(1) Program operation. A description of methods used to collect, transport, and recycle covered batteries by the battery stewardship organization including a discussion of best available processing technologies and the recycling efficiency rate.

(2) Independent financial audit. No later than six months prior to the due date of an annual report, the department will notify a battery stewardship organization if an independent financial audit of the program is required.

(3) Program budget. A summary of the program budget including revenue and a detailed analysis of program costs, expenses, and expenditures of the program comparing budgeted amounts to actual expenditures. Battery stewardship organizations implementing similar battery stewardship programs in multiple states may submit a financial statement including all covered states if the statement breaks out financial information pertinent to Washington.

(4) Battery collections and collection site information. The report must provide the weight, by chemistry, of covered batteries collected under the program. The report must include the URL address to the battery stewardship organization's web page containing an up-to-date interactive map of all collection sites used to implement the program. Additionally, the report must include the following information for each collection site:

(a) The name of the site;

(b) The address of the site;

(c) The latitude and longitude of the site;

(d) An indication of whether the site accepts damaged and defective batteries;

(e) An indication of whether the site accepts medium format batteries;

(f) A link to the website associated with the site, if applicable; and

(g) The weight of covered batteries collected annually at the site.

(5) Sorting facility and final disposition facility information. The following information for each facility used by the program for sorting or final disposition of batteries:

(a) The name of the facility;

(b) The address of the facility;

(c) The weight by battery chemistry of covered batteries received;

(d) The weight of materials recycled;

(e) The weight of residuals disposed;

(f) A description of the recycling process used;

(g) The recycling efficiency rate achieved; and

(h) A summary of violations of environmental or labor laws and regulations over the previous three calendar years issued by a regulatory body with oversight of those laws and regulations, regardless of whether the violation is being contested, further investigated or resolved.

(6) Aggregate sales. The estimated aggregate sales by weight and chemistry of covered batteries and batteries contained in or with battery-containing products sold in Washington by participating producers for each of the previous three calendar years. Sales data by battery chemistry may be grouped with prior approval from the department.

(7) Education and outreach. A summary of education and outreach activities carried out by the battery stewardship organization including:

(a) A description of how the education and outreach requirements under WAC 197-905-110 were met;

(b) Samples of education and outreach materials distributed to consumers, collection sites, producers, distributors, and retailers;

(c) If there were other battery stewardship organizations implementing an approved plan, a description of how education and outreach activities were coordinated and how associated costs were shared with other battery stewardship organizations;

(d) A summary of education and outreach activities conducted during the previous calendar year and a description of activities planned for the upcoming 12 month;

(e) The results of any public awareness surveys conducted during the previous calendar year.

(8) Safety training. A description of how the battery stewardship organization provided safety training and distributed safety information to operators of battery collection sites including covered topics, the number of trainings provided at each collection site, and a list of locations where trainings were conducted.

(9) Battery related incidents. For any collection site or facility used by the program that experienced a battery related incident in the preceding calendar year, a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel format, or a similar file format with prior approval from the department, with the following information for each incident:

(a) The name of the site;

(b) The address of the site;

(c) Date and time the incident occurred;

(d) Description of the incident;

(e) Steps taken to remedy the incident; and

(f) A description of how the waste was managed.

(10) Marking requirement certifications. A list of producers that have certified to the battery stewardship organization their compliance with the marking requirements under WAC 173-905-310.

(11) Progress on performance goals. A summary of progress made towards program performance goals established in the plan and an explanation of why a goal was not met, if applicable. The annual report must include:

(a) The collection rate for covered batteries achieved by the program and a description of how the collection rate was calculated. Calculation of separate rates may be required by ecology.

(b) The recycling efficiency rates achieved by the program for each of the following:

(i) All covered batteries collected by the program;

(ii) Primary batteries collected by the program;

(iii) Rechargeable batteries collected by the program; and

(iv) Each recycling facility used by the program.

(c) An evaluation of the effectiveness of education and outreach activities.

(12) Improving recycling rates. If a battery stewardship organization disposed of covered batteries through energy recovery, incineration, or landfilling during the preceding calendar year, a description of the steps that the battery stewardship organization will take to increase battery recycling rates achieved by the program.

(13) Battery management hierarchy.

(a) The weight and percentage of batteries disposed of for each of the disposal options:

(i) Waste prevention and reduction;

(ii) Reuse;

(iii) Recycling; and

(iv) Other means of end-of-life management.

(b) For any covered batteries that were disposed of using a lower priority end-of-life battery management option on the battery management hierarchy, the battery stewardship organization must provide an explanation of why higher priority battery management options were not technically feasible or economically practical for those batteries.