Colorado has become the first US state to make automakers and battery manufacturers responsible for managing batteries at the end of their useful lives. The Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 26-003, which expands the state’s Battery Stewardship Act to include electrified vehicle batteries, in May. Governor Jared Polis signed the bill into law in early June.
As Bill Pierce reports in EVinfo.net, the new law builds on Senate Bill 25-163, which created an “extended producer responsibility framework” for portable and medium-format batteries. The measure is intended to create a structured pathway for battery reuse, recycling and disposal.
Under the new law, manufacturers are required to collect unwanted propulsion batteries from secondary handlers, such as automotive dismantlers and solid-waste facilities, at no cost to those companies.
Beginning in 2029, disposal of EV propulsion batteries in landfills will be prohibited (sorry, EV-haters!), and secondary handlers will be subject to battery-labeling and compliance reporting requirements.
The new law establishes critical-mineral recovery standards for battery recyclers. Starting in 2031, recyclers will be required to recover at least 90% of cobalt and nickel and 50% of lithium (increasing to 80% by 2035) from processed batteries.
The Automotive Recyclers Association welcomed the legislation, which it described as a market-based solution built on the state’s existing recycling network. The ARA notes that approximately 330,000 vehicles reach end-of-life in Colorado each year, and that most are handled by automotive recyclers.
“This represents a huge milestone toward a circular economy for EV batteries and a more sustainable, safe and resilient EV industry,” said Aaron Kressig, Manager of Transportation Electrification Program at Western Resource Advocates. “There is still much work to be done, but we hope the Colorado bill becomes the model for the nation going forward.”
Sources: EVinfo.net, Recycling Today
