Colorado has enacted a new law, SB26-003, requiring automakers to take responsibility for collecting and recycling used electric vehicle batteries, aiming to solve a growing problem as EV adoption increases across the state. Used batteries are bulky, heavy and expensive to transport, leaving smaller salvage yards struggling to dispose of them safely; by shifting the burden onto manufacturers, the law has secured backing from environmental groups, recyclers and automakers alike, and could serve as a model for other US states.

Signed in June, the law bans landfills from accepting EV batteries from July 2029 and requires automakers to build a statewide collection and processing system, with over 200,000 EVs already on Colorado's roads. It goes further than similar measures elsewhere, such as in New Jersey, by setting specific mineral recovery targets: by 2031, recyclers must recover at least 90% of cobalt and nickel and 50% of lithium from batteries, with the lithium target rising to 80% by 2035. Recycling is seen as key to reducing the environmental cost of battery production, with the International Energy Agency estimating it could supply 20-30% of needed lithium, nickel and cobalt by 2050.