HB1733 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 10390 CPF 15717 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1733

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. Maura Hirschauer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Car Seat Recycling Act. Provides that manufacturers shall accept car seats for the purpose of recycling the material from the car seats. Requires manufacturers to dismantle a car seat if received intact and accept the dismantled materials from car seats. Provides that each manufacturer shall begin implementation of its recycling program within one year of the effective date of the Act. Contains requirements for the recycling program. Effective January 1, 2023.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Car Seat Recycling Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to further the interest of the State of Illinois in reducing waste and providing the public a consistent method to properly dispose of car seats. Currently, the disposal of car seats results in a significant amount of waste every year. Many components of these car seats are largely recyclable. However, it is difficult for consumers to recycle the car seats on their own. Trade-in programs are largely inactive, new regulations in China prevent many recyclers from accepting car seats, and other methods such as donation are not meeting the needs of the public. It is on manufacturers of these car seats to properly manage the disposal of their products.

Section 10. Definitions.

"Car seat" means a regulated seat that protects a child who is too small or immature to safely use the adult seat belt system in a vehicle. "Car seat" includes booster seats, child restraint systems, and other regulated devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.

"Manufacturer" means a person, or a successor in interest to a person, under whose brand or label a car seat is or was sold at retail. For any car seat sold at retail under a brand or label that is licensed from a person who is a mere brand owner and who does not sell or produce a car seat, the person who produced the car seat or his or her successor in interest is the manufacturer. For any car seat sold at retail under the brand or label of both the retail seller and the person that produced the car seat, the person that produced the car seat, or his or her successor in interest, is the manufacturer.

"Program collection site" means a physical location that is included in a manufacturer's car seat recycling program and at which car seats are collected and prepared for transport by a collector during a program year in accordance with the requirements of this Act.

"Recycling program" means a program focused on the method, technique, or process designed to remove any contaminant from waste so as to render the waste reusable, or any process by which materials that would otherwise be disposed of or discarded are collected, separated, or processed and returned to the economic mainstream in the form of raw materials or products.

Section 15. Car Seat Recycling Program.

(a) Manufacturers shall accept car seats for the purpose of recycling the material from the car seats. A manufacturer shall dismantle a car seat if received intact. The manufacturer shall also accept the dismantled materials from car seats.

(b) Each manufacturer shall begin implementation of its recycling program within one year of the effective date of this Act. The recycling program:

(1) shall include public education and notification programs to foster understanding and encourage use of the recycling program;

(2) may require the participants to drop off car seats only at program collection sites;

(3) shall provide the total number and weight of the car seats received under the program and must include the number of tons in material that manufacturers recycle in a report that must be available on an annual basis and publicly accessible; and

(4) shall include provisions for (i) identifying potential markets for the recyclable materials and (ii) promoting the use of products made from recovered or recycled materials among businesses.

(c) In implementing the recycling program, a manufacturer may not distinguish between an individual and a business entity. Both individuals and business entities are eligible to participate in the recycling program.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2023.