“You have got to do something with these batteries,” Wright said. “If they can’t be reused or remanufactured, it ends up here. And what do we do with it?” 

That’s why Wright supported a first-in-the-nation bill in the Colorado legislature to support EV battery recycling. Signed by Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday, it requires automakers to establish a statewide program to process unwanted batteries. It also bans landfills from accepting the devices starting in October 2028.

The new law, SB26-003, also marks the first time any U.S. state has set specific targets to recover critical minerals from EV batteries. By 2031, for example, recycling companies must reclaim 50% of the lithium inside an EV battery, then improve to an 80% recovery rate by 2035. Those standards are meant to guarantee that raw materials for new batteries are not lost as recyclers dismantle and shred older devices. 

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