New Colorado Law Gets It Right by Requiring Responsible EV Battery Recycling

Colorado has enacted the Promoting Responsible End-of-Life Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries Act, the first of its kind in the United States, directing automakers to reuse or recycle battery packs from both in-house and third-party sources. The law sets recovery targets, including 90% of nickel and cobalt and 50% of lithium recovered at the intermediate 'black mass' stage, rising to 80% lithium by 2031, and requires extensive reporting and labeling to support recycling.

Automakers, including Audi, BMW, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, have signed recycling deals with Redwood Materials, highlighting the importance of sufficient used batteries to scale recycling. The act also aims to prevent discarded batteries by enabling second-life uses and better end-user information.