Batteries and Battery Chargers

Approved June 18, 2025

Covered Products

• AA batteries
• AAA batteries
• C batteries
• D batteries
• 9V batteries
• Rechargeable battery chargers

Exclusions

• Batteries of other sizes

Minimum Requirements

Batteries MUST have the following sustainability attributes:

• Rechargeable
• Acceptable chemistries include only:
  • Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH)
  • Lithium ion (Li-ion)
  • Nickel-zinc (NiZn)
• Labeled with power rating in milli-amp-hours (mAh) or milli-watt-hours (mWh) on the battery
• 1.2V NiMH rechargeable batteries must meet the minimum milli-amp-hour (mAh) power rating in the table below:

• 1.5V-1.6V Li-ion and NiZn rechargeable batteries must meet the minimum milli-watt-hour (mWh) power rating in the table below:

Battery chargers MUST have the following sustainability attributes:

• At least one of the following certifications for electrical safety:
  • UL Listed
  • ETL Listed

Additional Desirable Attributes

Batteries are ENCOURAGED to have one or more of the following sustainability attributes:

• At least one of the following certifications for electrical safety:
  • UL Listed
  • ETL Listed
• Labeled as RoHS-compliant
• Labeled low self-discharge (LSD)
• Pre-charged to at least 80% capacity
• 10% post-consumer recycled content (PCRC) or higher
• Has USB charging port built into the battery
• Battery or manufacturer’s website or technical data sheet lists the battery’s “cycle life”
• Made by a Certified B Corp
• Made in the USA

Battery chargers are ENCOURAGED to have one or more of the following sustainability attributes:

• Labeled as RoHS-compliant
• Can charge multiple sizes of rechargeable batteries
• Can charge batteries individually (i.e., not a paired or circuit station) 
   

Many products meeting this GreenNY Specification align with the following NYS Sustainability Policies:

• Executive Order 22: Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program
• Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act of 2022
• Battery Management and Disposal Law
• Pollution Prevention Policy
• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law
• State Solid Waste Management Policy

• GreenNY Sustainability Certifications and Standards
• GreenNY Sustainable Purchasing Definitions
• NYS Sustainability Policies
• Product Specific Resources
  • Rechargeable Battery Recycling, New York Department of Environmental Conservation

To support compliance with NYS policies and GreenNY procurement requirements, contract managers are encouraged to incorporate the GreenNY Sample Contract Language into bid solicitations and contracts. The GreenNY sample contract language covers the following topics:

• GreenNY Sales Reporting
• Packaging Language
• Product Labeling per GreenNY Specifications
• Takeback Services
• Verification of Vendor Compliance with GreenNY Requirements and Documentation of Desirable Attributes and Other Environmental Claims 

Product-Specific Sample Contract Language

In addition to the GreenNY Sample Contract Language, Contract Managers are encouraged to include the following language in vendor contracts involving Batteries and/or Battery Chargers:

In order to prevent environmental pollution and promote compliance with New York State Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law, the vendor MUST offer free collection and recycling services for rechargeable batteries through the Call2Recycle Program or another battery recycling program approved by the Contract Manager. In addition, the vendor is ENCOURAGED to offer collection and recycling services for single-use batteries generated by contract users, although it may charge for this service.

The vendor MUST ensure that all lithium-ion rechargeable batteries offered on the contract have the applicable and current UL or ETL safety certifications, including for example, UL 1642: Lithium Batteries or ETL certification based on IEC 62133: Lithium Ion Batteries.  

Pursuant to NYS Battery management and disposal law (ECL § 27-0719), for all products offered on this contract that possess a nickel cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable battery or a sealed lead acid rechargeable battery under 25 lbs, the battery must be removable and clearly marked with its chemical content, so that it is easily identifiable by consumers and recyclers. 

Pursuant to NYS Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act of 2022 and Article 16 of the State Energy Law, vendors shall not sell or offer for sale appliances and electronic equipment that do not meet the NYS Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards. At the request of the purchaser, the vendor must provide verification of compliance with NYS Advanced Building Codes, Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act of 2022.

Verification documentation may cover multiple products that are distributed, sold, or offered for sale by an individual vendor. The following types of verification documentation will be accepted:

• Third-party certification/verification
• Compliance certification or affidavit signed by the vendor (for recycling services) or manufacturer (for compliance with lithium battery safety standards)
• Other acceptable documentation as approved by the purchaser

Note: For several product categories New York State has adopted California’s Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Standards. Compliant products can be found in the State Appliance Standards Database (SASD) and California’s Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System (MAEDbS).

• Battery – An electrochemical device with the ability to convert chemical energy to electrical energy to provide power to electronic devices.
• Battery Charger – A unit that is plugged into a wall outlet that rechargeable batteries can be placed in to be recharged.
• Cycle Life – The number of times a rechargeable battery can be recharged before it is significantly degraded (i.e., its power rating is significantly lower than when it was first used.)
• Low Self-Discharge (LSD) – Technology that allows a rechargeable battery to hold onto its charge for a long period of time while not in use.
• Milli-amp hour (mAh) – A unit of measure of the charge capacity of a battery. It quantifies the maximum amount of electrical energy a rechargeable battery can store at one time when it is fully charged. A higher mAh means the fully charged battery can power a device for a longer period of time before becoming depleted and needing to be re-charged compared to a similar battery with a lower power rating. The mAh power rating is often listed on nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteries.
• Milli-watt hour (mWh) – A unit of measure of the charge capacity of a battery that takes into account the voltage of the battery. The formula for mWh is mWh = mAh x V, where mAh is the battery's charge capacity and V is the battery's voltage. A higher mWh rating means the fully charged battery can power a device for a longer period of time before becoming depleted and needing to be re-charged compared to a similar battery with a lower power rating. The mWh power rating is often listed on lithium ion and nickel-zinc rechargeable batteries.
• Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCRC) – A material that has served its intended use and has been collected in a municipal or commercial recycling program and incorporated into new materials or products. PCRC does not include pre-consumer recycled content (also referred to as post-industrial recycled content), which is material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process.
• Rechargeable Battery – A battery that can be reused (typically hundreds of times) once its energy content has been depleted by being recharged in a charger.
• Single-Use Battery – An alkaline battery or a battery that uses another chemistry to store energy and can only be used once. This type of battery is not rechargeable.