eBike battery recycling

Returning your eBike battery for recycling is very easy. We'll show you how to do it.

A young woman is talking to a customer advisor in a bike shop. She is holding a battery in her hand.

eBike battery recycling

The benefits

  • Conserve valuable raw materials and put them back in circulation.
  • Simply return it free of charge to any participating specialist retailer.
  • Protect the environment by ensuring your battery is disposed of properly.
  • Act in an exemplary, legally compliant manner by never disposing of batteries in household waste.

Here's how it works

Many good reasons

Why recycle?

Your eBike battery contains valuable raw materials. When batteries are recycled properly, up to 79% of these materials can be recovered and reused.1 This reduces the need to mine new raw materials and conserves natural resources.

What cannot be recycled is disposed of properly to minimise its impact on the environment.

Recycling batteries correctly is also safer. Batteries that are disposed of improperly with household waste can create dangerous situations. Therefore, always return your battery to a participating specialist retailer – it's easy, free of charge and can be done in just a few steps.

Infografik mit dem Titel "Durch Recycling Ressourcen zurückgewinnen". Sie visualisiert den prozentualen Anteil der Rohstoffe in einem eBike-Akku und deren Rückgewinnungsquote.

Source:

1 Simplified representation based on the "Success Monitoring 2024 of GRS eMobility" of the GRS battery return system, Germany.

It's really simple

Recycle in 4 steps

A man stands in a bike shop, smiling at his smartphone, surrounded by a variety of bikes on display.

Find a specialist dealer

Besides recycling centers, you may also be able to drop off your old battery at a specialist eBike retailer, depending on your location. It doesn't matter what brand the battery is or where you bought your eBike.

Find a dealer

A bearded man wearing a bicycle helmet and backpack boards a train, carrying a silver e-folding bike.

Transport correctly

An intact battery is easy to transport. If it is damaged, please contact your specialist dealer or the manufacturer directly for information on the correct handling procedure.

A young woman is talking to a customer advisor in a bike shop. She is holding a battery in her hand.

Drop it off for free

Returns are generally free for you. You don't need to buy a new product when you return a battery. Simply hand in the battery at the service point or at the checkout.

A Bosch service employee disposes of an eBike battery in accordance with the regulations in a container with a red warning label that reads 'Lithium batteries for recycling' UN 3090 UN 3480 Damaged/Defective lithium-ion batteries.

That's all there is to it

Done! Your specialist retailer will now take care of everything else. They will ensure that the battery is stored safely and passed on to a specialist recycling company. Your contribution counts.

Good for the environment

How your eBike battery is recycled

Graphic explaining the battery recycling: Depiction of a woman holding a battery in her hand. Next to it, there are 4 dots in order: a shop icon with the text "Drop off at the specialist dealer/retailer", a truck with the text "Pick-up and transport via local take-back system", a factory with the lettering "Separation and processing of materials" and a triangle consisting of arrows with the lettering "reusing of products".

The recycling chain

The specialist retailer passes your battery on to recycling professionals. Here, the materials are separated, processed, and prepared for reuse in the manufacture of new products.1

Source:

1 Own simplified illustration based on Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Servicegesellschaft GmbH (2023): "Nach­hal­tig­keit durch Rücknahme von Altbatterien aus E-Bikes und anderen elektrischen Kleinfahrzeugen steigern" (Increasing sustainability by taking back used batteries from eBikes and other small electric vehicles), presented at Eurobike 2023.

More about the battery

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Our expert, Dr Vikram Godbole, provides information and tips on the topic of battery safety and durability.

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A person is removing the battery from a white e-bike. They are wearing a gray jacket and light-colored pants. In the background, you can see a building with large windows and a door.

Battery Guide

You can find even more interesting facts about eBike batteries in our Battery Guide.

Download

FAQs

In some regions, participating eBike retailers may accept used batteries free of charge in accordance with local regulations. Your alternative: Municipal collection points such as recycling centers or waste disposal sites may also accept your battery free of charge.

No, absolutely not. The obligation to take back the product may not be linked to a new purchase.

Never transport a damaged battery yourself! Contact the dealer where you bought the bike or the manufacturer immediately. They will advise you on the safest procedure. Until then, store the battery in a safe place (e.g., outdoors, on a non-flammable surface).

No! In waste collection vehicles and sorting facilities, waste is compressed under high pressure. During this process, a battery will inevitably be bent, crushed, or punctured. This will lead to a short circuit, causing the battery to heat up and set fire to the surrounding waste.
It is therefore illegal, extremely dangerous, and hugely damaging to the environment.

For most modern eBike batteries, this is no longer an essential requirement for returning them to the dealer. However, it doesn't hurt to do it and increases safety even further, which is why we recommend taping over the terminals.

In the EU, recycling is financed by the manufacturers (marketers). When the battery is placed on the market, an advance recycling fee is paid to a contracted collection organisation, which uses this money to collect the battery for free and recycle it properly.

Depending on your location, used eBike batteries may be accepted free of charge at participating collection points or retailers for recycling. You do not need to purchase a new battery to use this service.
Please note that you should not touch severely damaged batteries with your bare hands, as electrolyte may leak and cause skin irritation. Please store defective batteries in a safe outdoor location with the contacts taped over and take them to a suitable collection point for proper disposal as soon as possible.

General disposal instructions and packaging information