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The New Hampshire Legislature has passed legislation that would prohibit the disposal of lithium-ion batteries and electronic devices in any solid waste landfill or incinerator in New Hampshire. See House Bill 1386-FN.

The bill would also require towns, solid waste districts, and owners/operators of landfills and incinerators to provide educational materials on the prohibition.

Current New Hampshire law prohibits the disposal of wet-cell batteries such as automotive batteries. The legislation would add a specific prohibition on disposal of lithium-ion batteries. Such batteries are typically found in laptops, phones, and power tools.

This prohibition would presumably therefore require management of such items through recycling.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association has expressed a belief that the unpredictability of where lithium-ion batteries are added into the solid waste stream, it is not possible to predict when and with what frequency fires may occur as a consequence of being processed in such waste streams. The Association has stated in the support of the legislation that the majority of solid waste facility fires are started by lithium-ion batteries.

A copy of HB 1386 can be downloaded here.