I would love to see what chromakey's describing at a national level. However, I'd just like to parrot Lost's assessment here, and add my experience.
Notwithstanding federal regulations, each state has its own set of hazardous materials regs to work within, some counties after that, and some municipalities after that. Depending on the state/county/city in question, some of the required certifications and registrations can take time and money to acquire, though you can usually operate while waiting for your approval. Any member of this consortium would likely have to go through all the regulatory steps their municipal, county, and state government required to join, especially if this idea got any kind of livable-income-off-this-idea traction. I question whether potential members would consider it worthwhile.
I don't want to make this a "story time" post, but here it is, anyways. I would shy away from an effort like this. Prior to getting my hobby scrapping and refurbishing operation square with my state, county, and city regulators, I used to test every 18650 I got. I would assemble and package packs for e-bikes and power tools, then sell them or use them for repair. After I got registered, and learned more about battery regulations, I stopped entirely. There's way too much extra scrutiny (in my case, at the county level) surrounding rechargeable batteries. A whole new set of inspections, transport manifests, and mandatory reporting. Every single battery needs to be accounted for. I even got virtually inspected in September - covid-19 won't stop them. Don't even get me started on shipping interstate. It just isn't worth it for me. My regular 9-5 is as a preschool / ECFE administrator and believe me, batteries are 10 times better regulated than providing care for 2-5-year-olds where I am, and that includes several tiers and funding sources for scholarships. Think about that. What I'm saying is, the *local* sources part concerns me; you aren't going to get Joe Schmoe Repair Shop's materials without some effort on Joe Schmoe's part.
Here's another part to consider, and it's kind of a digression (pardon me): battery manufacturers have never focused on improving recyclability. All the industry seems to focus on is longevity and capacity. What would an organization like the one you envision do with the countless deads you end up with? The recycling mantra dictates: there's a market for anything, so long as there is enough of it. One exception seems to be li-ions. They are hard to recycle and basically have to be treated like ore. It's expensive. It's costly. It's just plain hard. How will your idea account for the batteries that inevitably end up being disposed of, financially and ethically?
Okay, let me back away from the pessimism for a second.
Lost's business capital advice is spot on. Your idea is doable and worthwhile, even if it hasn't been done the way you envision yet. My advice: bring an environmental attorney in, even just as a consultation, preferably before you make some partnerships in industry and secure financing. You need to be able to answer regulator questions in those relationship-building conversations. You create the right framework, and even Joe Schmoe will participate if the money materializes for them. You get people buying green, recycled 18650-based powerwalls and you'll be able to make it worth his while.
Heck, you get lost's advice done, this Joe Schmoe will work with you financially and materially.
I just want to add a final thought: it is absolutely nuts that good, ethically sound ideas like yours get drowned in regulatory quagmires. My state regularly busts ordinary scrappers trying to make a living for their families and fines them for not complying. Blood from a turnip. (/rant)
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