Colorado Bans EV Battery Landfills, Sets Recycling Milestone

Colorado is turning a looming waste problem into a winning solution for the environment and the economy.

The state just passed groundbreaking legislation that would make it the first in the nation to set specific recovery rates for critical minerals in electric vehicle batteries. If Governor Jared Polis signs the bill, Colorado will ban EV battery landfilling by 2028 and require that every battery be reused, repurposed, or recycled.

With 200,000 electric vehicles already on Colorado roads, lawmakers recognized the urgent need to handle aging batteries safely. The bill creates a stewardship program that manufacturers must join, ensuring batteries get a second life instead of ending up in landfills or causing storage facility fires.

Here's where it gets exciting. By 2031, recyclers must recover 90% of the cobalt and nickel and 50% of the lithium from each battery. By 2035, lithium recovery jumps to 80%. These aren't just numbers on paper. They represent real materials that can go back into new batteries, reducing the need to mine more minerals from the earth.

The bill earned rare bipartisan support from an unlikely alliance of recyclers, automakers, and environmental groups. Everyone saw the win. Battery recycler Cirba Solutions helped draft the bill text, and the company says the recovery rates align perfectly with their existing processes.

The Automotive Recyclers Association praised the legislation for protecting workers from facility fires while creating a no-cost solution for stranded batteries. The bill gives recyclers clear guidelines and manufacturers clear responsibilities, turning confusion into action.

The Ripple Effect

This legislation does more than keep batteries out of landfills. It strengthens national security by building domestic sources of critical minerals, reducing America's dependence on countries that currently dominate mineral production.

Jessica Dunn from the Union of Concerned Scientists called it "exactly the kind of science-informed approach we need to ensure electric vehicles deliver their full economic, climate and sustainability potential." When batteries get reused in energy storage systems or recycled into new vehicles, every mineral extracted from the earth works harder and longer.

Colorado already passed a battery stewardship law in 2025 for other battery types, showing the state's commitment to closing the loop on electronic waste. New Jersey pioneered EV battery legislation in 2024, but Colorado's specific mineral recovery rates set a new gold standard.

Manufacturers have until July 2027 to register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and they must submit detailed plans by early 2029. The timeline gives companies room to build the systems needed while moving fast enough to address the growing number of aging EV batteries.

Other states are watching closely as Colorado proves environmental protection and economic opportunity can go hand in hand.