Cirba Solutions Collaborates with Industry Coalition Behind Colorado's Nation-Leading EV Battery Recycling Law

­Cirba Solutions, the largest and most experienced battery recycling materials and management company in North America, played a key role in an industry collaborative approach to help shape one of the most significant pieces of battery recycling legislation in U.S. history. Governor Jared Polis signed Colorado Senate Bill 26-003 into law, making Colorado the first state in the nation to establish minimum mineral recovery rates for EV battery recycling.

"This is a breakthrough opportunity for the industry,” said Danielle Spalding, SVP of Corporate & External Affairs at Cirba Solutions. "Colorado recognized that the EV battery market requires its own purpose-built framework, one that addresses the unique scale, chemistry and recovery needs of standard EV batteries without disrupting the well-established systems already serving other battery markets. This bill creates the targeted infrastructure the EV sector needs while preserving what's already working across the broader battery landscape."

The passage of SB26-003 reflects the power of cross-sector collaboration, uniting the full battery supply chain behind a shared vision for responsible end-of-life battery management. Cirba Solutions was proud to serve as a contributing partner throughout this effort, working lockstep with automotive OEMs, battery manufacturers, recyclers, leading industry associations and institutional stakeholders to refine the bill's language, advocate for its most critical provisions and ensure the final mechanics of how to operationalize this effort struck a balanced approach. The result addresses state priorities, integrates industry-leading practices and reflects real-world operational capability.

This collective engagement, drawing on Cirba Solutions' deep operational expertise across battery chemistries, material recovery, logistics and regulatory compliance, alongside the insights of our partners across the value chain, helped shape several of the bill's key provisions, including:

• Comprehensive labeling requirements to support safe and responsible handling.

• Manufacturer collection and responsibility requirements, directing EV, plug-in hybrid and hybrid battery providers to collect and responsibly manage unwanted batteries.

• First-in-the-nation minimum mineral recovery rates.

• Landfill disposal ban on propulsion batteries goes into effect July 1, 2029.

• Annual reporting requirements beginning June 1, 2030, requiring providers and remanufacturers to report on battery collection, recycling processes and mineral recovery rates to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Colorado’s action doesn’t exist in a vacuum. A growing number of states have now passed battery extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, and additional legislation is advancing across the country. SB26-003 signals an evolution in that landscape.

“What makes this bill different is the specificity,” said Spalding. “We’re not talking about a general mandate to recycle. We are shifting the focus to what the market needs – a plan for stranded EV batteries.”  

That shift aligns with broader activity already underway across the U.S. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published battery collection best practices to Congress, highlighting how states, tribes and local governments are managing battery diversion and recovery, while states across the country continue moving toward battery EPR frameworks. Colorado’s approach builds on that trajectory and signals where U.S. policy is headed.