Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, received a sustainability award this week from a national product stewardship organization for his efforts to enact legislation that would regulate the disposal of batteries.
While the legislation did not pass, Call2Recycle, Inc. gave Saviello its Sustainability Award for raising the issue of batteries in the waste stream.
“While the legislation did not pass, Senator Saviello’s leadership, tenacity and diligence brought this important issue to the attention of the Legislature,” Call2Recycle’s CEO and president, Carl E. Smith, said in a news release. “Through the senator’s work, many more people now know how important it is to divert used consumer batteries from landfills into a recycling program.”
The legislation proposed by Saviello, L.D. 1578, would have required companies to be responsible for recycling batteries they put into the Maine market.
Saviello plans to resubmit the legislation during the next session, which begins in January.
Call2Recycle’s voluntary program has more than 200 battery collection sites in Maine, according to the release. The sites are funded by companies that manufacture batteries and battery-powered products. Through the program, over 30,000 pounds of batteries are collected in Maine annually.
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