Waste industry performance targets tend to be more aspirational than operational. Colorado is changing that. From first-in-the-nation EV battery EPR with specific mineral recovery rates, to a new state-level landfill methane rule filling the gap left by federal inaction, to AI-driven sorting technology coming online in MRFs — the Rocky Mountain state is charting a more specific and measurable path forward. It’s exactly what the SWEEP Standard is designed to do.
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This Week in Waste
Colorado Becomes First State to Set Minimum Mineral Recovery Rates for EV Battery Recycling
As the EV fleet grows and first-generation batteries approach end-of-life, Colorado has moved to close what could become a significant waste and resource recovery gap. Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 26-003 into law, making Colorado the first state in the nation to establish minimum mineral recovery rates for EV battery recycling, placing responsibility for end-of-life management squarely on automakers and propulsion battery manufacturers. The law requires automakers to establish a statewide collection program for unwanted batteries and bans landfills from accepting EV batteries starting in October 2028.
Key takeaway: Colorado’s approach — specifying recovery rates for lithium, cobalt, and nickel rather than just overall recycling tonnage — sets a meaningful performance standard that highlights not just the what of recycling, but the why as well.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Resource Recycling ·
CPR News
Colorado’s New Landfill Methane Rule Sets June 30 Reporting Deadline
Colorado’s Regulation 31 — the state’s first methane-based landfill standard — requires roughly 32 of the state’s 82 municipal solid waste landfills to submit waste-in-place and methane generation reports by June 30, 2026, ahead of gas collection system requirements starting in 2027. The rule is seen as a model other states may follow as federal landfill methane rulemaking remains uncertain.
Key takeaway: State-level methane rules are filling the gap left by federal inaction. Other states should monitor Colorado’s rollout as a blueprint for future action if paralysis in Washington continues.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Environmental Defense Fund ·
SLR Consulting
AI-Driven Sorting Technology Consolidation Accelerates in MRFs
CP Group’s acquisition of AI vision company Recycleye, combined with Mid-Valley Recycling’s $12 million Fresno MRF reopening using AI optical sorters (partly funded by a CalRecycle grant), signal that AI-based sorting is moving from pilot projects to standard infrastructure. Operators report cleaner output streams and reduced residuals heading to landfill — adding another important resource in the quest to minimize disposal of scarce and expensive materials.
Sources: Resource Recycling ·
Recycling Today ·
Recycling Product News
How the EPA’s New Strategy and the US Food Waste Pact Can Make a Difference
The EPA’s national food waste strategy and the US Food Waste Pact represent two major collaborations targeting landfill methane from organics. SWEEP’s latest analysis explains why food waste reduction is critical for climate impact — and why the $4 billion in food Americans waste every year makes this a pocketbook issue as much as an environmental one.
Focus on SWEEP
Join Us June 18: Meet the Trash Detectives
Waste stream forensics can uncover impressive opportunities to improve recovery and save money. Learn about the tools and methods transforming waste management at the facility and system level at our next SWEEP Webinar — Meet the Trash Detectives: Uncovering Huge Returns in Waste Management. Register now to save your spot.
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The waste and recycling industry is at an inflection point. SWEEP is developing a new sustainable materials management policy framework, a new standard is ready for review, and we are looking for leaders to help shape the next generation of materials management. Become part of the national effort to set and advance the standard.
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