(1) By June 1, 2028, and each June 1st thereafter, each battery stewardship organization must submit an annual report to the department covering the preceding calendar year of battery stewardship plan implementation. The report must include:
(a) An independent financial assessment of a program implemented by the battery stewardship organization, including a breakdown of the program's expenses, such as collection, recycling, education, and overhead, when required by the department;
(b) A summary financial statement documenting the financing of a battery stewardship organization's program and an analysis of program costs and expenditures, including an analysis of the program's expenses, such as collection, transportation, recycling, education, and administrative overhead. The summary financial statement must be sufficiently detailed to provide transparency that funds collected from producers as a result of their activities in Washington are spent on program implementation in Washington. Battery stewardship organizations implementing similar battery stewardship programs in multiple states may submit a financial statement including all covered states, as long as the statement breaks out financial information pertinent to Washington;
(c) The weight, by chemistry, of covered batteries collected under the program;
(d) The weight of materials recycled from covered batteries collected under the program, in total, and by method of battery recycling;
(e) A calculation of the recycling efficiency rates, as measured consistent with subsection (2) of this section;
(f) For each facility used for the final disposition of batteries, a description of how the facility recycled or otherwise disposed of batteries and battery components;
(g) The weight and chemistry of batteries sent to each facility used for the final disposition of batteries. The information in this subsection (1)(g) may be approximated for program operations in Washington based on extrapolations of national or regional data for programs in operation in multiple states;
(h) The collection rate achieved under the program, including a description of how this collection rate was calculated;
(i) The estimated aggregate sales, by weight and chemistry, of batteries and batteries contained in or with battery-containing products sold in Washington by participating producers for each of the previous three calendar years;
(j) A description of the manner in which the collected batteries were managed and recycled, including a discussion of best available technologies and the recycling efficiency rate;
(k) A description of education and outreach efforts supporting plan implementation including, but not limited to, a summary of education and outreach provided to consumers, collection sites, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers by the program operator for the purpose of promoting the collection and recycling of covered batteries, a description of how that education and outreach met the requirements of RCW 70A.555.080 , samples of education and outreach materials, a summary of coordinated education and outreach efforts with any other battery stewardship organizations implementing a plan approved by the department, and a summary of any changes made during the previous calendar year to education and outreach activities;
(l) A list of all collection sites and accompanying latitude and longitude data and an address for each listed site, and an up-to-date map indicating the location of all collection sites used to implement the program, with links to appropriate websites where there are existing websites associated with a site;
(m) A description of methods used to collect, transport, and recycle covered batteries by the battery stewardship organization;
(n) A summary on progress made towards the program performance goals established under RCW 70A.555.050 , and an explanation of why performance goals were not met, if applicable; and
(o) An evaluation of the effectiveness of education and outreach activities.
(2) The weight of batteries or recovered resources from those batteries must only be counted once and may not be counted by more than one battery stewardship organization.
(3) In addition to the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, with respect to each facility used in the processing or disposition of batteries collected under the program, the battery stewardship organization must report:
(a) Whether the facility is located domestically, in an organization for economic cooperation and development country, or in a country that meets organization for economic cooperation and development operating standards; and
(b) What facilities processed the batteries, including a summary of any violations of environmental or labor laws and regulations over the previous three years at each facility.
(4) If a battery stewardship organization has disposed of covered batteries though energy recovery, incineration, or landfilling during the preceding calendar year of program implementation, the annual report must specify the steps that the battery stewardship organization will take to make the recycling of covered batteries cost-effective, where possible, or to otherwise increase battery recycling rates achieved by the battery stewardship organization.
(5) A producer or battery stewardship organization that submits information or records to the department under this chapter may request that the information or records be made available only for the confidential use of the department, the director of the department, or the appropriate division of the department. The director of the department must consider the request and if this action is not detrimental to the public interest and is otherwise in accordance with the policies and purposes of chapter 43.21A RCW, the director must grant the request for the information to remain confidential as authorized in RCW 43.21A.160 .