Colorado Requires Automakers to Recycle EV Batteries

Colorado lawmakers are tackling one of the biggest blind spots in the electric vehicle revolution, and the solution could transform how America builds green cars.

On Wednesday, state legislators introduced a bill requiring automakers to recycle or reuse EV batteries once they wear out. If passed, the law takes full effect in August 2028, giving companies time to build systems that turn old batteries into new ones.

The timing couldn't be better. Colorado leads the nation in EV adoption, with over 211,000 plug-in vehicles on the road. The state even briefly surpassed California in market share last year.

But here's the problem these batteries were meant to solve: manufacturing an EV battery creates a bigger carbon footprint than building a gas-powered car. Mining lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals tears up massive tracts of land and requires energy-intensive processing. Electric vehicles only become climate-friendly after several years of driving.

That's where recycling changes everything. By recovering materials from existing batteries, automakers can avoid mining virgin minerals, create local recycling jobs, and keep fire-prone batteries out of scrapyards where they pose safety risks.

State Senator Katie Wallace, who co-sponsored the bill, put it simply: "Colorado is leading in electric vehicle sales, which is great for climate change, but that only matters if they can be responsibly disposed of."

The impact could be massive. The Union of Concerned Scientists found that proper battery recycling combined with better public transit could cut newly mined lithium demand by nearly 50% between 2025 and 2050.

The Ripple Effect

Colorado isn't starting from scratch. The state recently launched a producer responsibility program for everyday items like aluminum cans and paper packaging, making manufacturers fund recycling instead of taxpayers. Last year, Governor Jared Polis signed another law requiring retailers to recycle smaller batteries from electronics.

This new bill extends that same logic to the 1,000-pound batteries powering electric cars. Companies must either recycle batteries themselves or partner with organizations that will.

Only New Jersey has passed similar legislation, while California's governor vetoed a comparable bill in favor of market-based solutions. Colorado's approach gives automakers flexibility and a three-year runway to comply.

Aaron Kressig from Western Resource Advocates notes many manufacturers are already building these systems. "A lot of the manufacturers are putting these types of systems in place, but we want to make sure that we aren't allowing batteries to slip through the cracks," he said.

The legislation proves that going green doesn't stop at the tailpipe.