The 117 battery-caused fires that hit Oregon waste facilities in 2025 pushed the state legislature to pass House Bill 4144, a producer-responsibility statute that requires manufacturers to fund and operate a statewide battery recycling program launching in 2029.

Oregon joins a small group of U.S. states that have formally moved battery streams into extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks, building on existing Oregon statutes covering paint, mercury thermostats, and similar products.

What did the 2025 fire data show?

Metro's two transfer stations logged 61 fires last year; 58 of those incidents traced directly to batteries mixed into garbage loads. Lane County's Short Mountain Landfill recorded 56 battery-related fires during the same period. Both jurisdictions cited worker safety and infrastructure damage as the primary drivers for seeking a state-level fix.

"Battery-related fires are not endemic to a single community, city or region," Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang said. "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."

Who built the coalition behind HB 4144?

Metro and Lane County co-led the legislative push, working with State Representative Emerson Levy (HD-53). The Association of Oregon Recyclers and the Oregon Refuse & Recycling Association carried the bill through committee, backed by environmental organizations and additional local governments.

Lane County Waste Reduction Manager Angie Marzano framed the unusual alignment: "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. This legislation is poised to create a system that safeguards people who work in the solid waste industry, customers, and the environment."

What does HB 4144 mandate?

Manufacturers — defined as companies that produce or import covered batteries sold in Oregon — must join a stewardship organization, register their products, and finance statewide collection, transport, and recycling. The law also bans battery disposal in household trash.

State regulators will set rules covering drop-off access standards, accepted chemistries, recycling performance targets, and retailer take-back obligations before the program's 2029 effective date.

Who runs collection in the interim?

Metro operates household hazardous waste facilities serving 1.7 million residents across greater Portland and manages the regional garbage and recycling system. Lane County accepts alkaline, button, rechargeable alkaline, ni-Cad, lithium, and silver oxide batteries at its transfer stations, Bi-Mart, True Value stores in Eugene and Florence, and most electronics and battery retailers.

Both jurisdictions will continue operating these networks until the manufacturer-funded program takes over.

What decides what happens next?

Three regulatory milestones will determine whether Oregon's program launches on schedule:

• Rule completion: state regulators must publish final program rules before the 2029 effective date.
• Stewardship organization formation: manufacturers must establish or contract a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to run collection logistics.
• Convenience standard compliance: the PRO must demonstrate drop-off coverage that meets the geographic thresholds the rule sets.

Each step converts statute into operational infrastructure. Operators and haulers will track whether the chosen PRO model achieves the fire-incident reduction that motivated the bill — 58 Metro and 56 Lane County incidents in a single year, all originating from batteries tossed in the trash.