It’s important to dispose of your e-Bike battery when it’s time to replace it. You can recycle your e-bike battery by taking it to a certified e-waste recycling center, the retailer where you purchased it, or a manufacturer-sponsored recycling program.
Battery Recycling for E-Bikes: What You Need to Know
Written by: Rémy Rossi | June 18, 2025 | Time to read 5 min
Your e-Bike battery won’t last forever—but that doesn’t mean it should end up in a landfill. Discover how recycling can protect the planet and power the future.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
Having to recycle an electric bike battery won’t happen often, but it’s important to do so properly. Once your e-Bike’s battery reaches the end of its life– typically after several years— you can take it to a designated bike shop or e-waste facility that will dispose of it safely and recycle certain materials. This is a crucial step for sustainability, and while the science of recycling batteries is complicated, bike brands and Call2Recycle make it easy for you to do your part.
When it’s time to replace a battery
E-Bike batteries naturally degrade with regular use, slowly losing their ability to hold a full charge. Eventually, the battery won't provide the range you rely on— that's your cue to replace it. There’s no strict timeline, but if the reduced capacity starts limiting your rides or disrupting your routine, it’s time to replace your e-Bike battery.
Recycling e-Bike batteries helps the planet
Recycling and waste disposal— especially in the US— is a murky business, and often isn’t as effective as we hope it to be. Separated trash ends up jumbled together, plastics aren’t actually recycled, among other mixed results. However, the recycling of e-Bike batteries is impressively successful.
Electric bike batteries are made from raw materials and metals that can be recycled once they reach their end-of-life. Motor and battery manufacturer Bosch cites a German study to explain how much of a battery can be recycled:
- An e-Bike battery has around 38% carbon, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium— 88% of this material can be recycled.
- Another 36% of the battery is made up of iron, copper, and aluminium, 97% of which is recyclable.
- The 2% of the battery that is electronic components and cables is entirely recyclable.
- However, 23% of the battery included separators, electrolytes, and residues that cannot be recycled.
- Overall, 71% of an electric bike battery can be recycled and recovered to be used for new products.
Recycling and saving these valuable resources ensures that they can be reused. The recycling process is energy-intensive and uses plenty of chemicals, but it is still far more eco-friendly than throwing away the batteries and mining new materials.
A 2025 Stanford University study found that the process of recycling batteries produces 58-81% less greenhouse gases, uses 72-88% less water, and requires 77-89% less energy than extracting raw minerals. Plus, proper disposal is much safer considering the fire and electrical risk of aging batteries.
Where to recycle your e-Bike battery?
When it’s time to recycle your battery, you’ll have to track down a place that accepts e-Bike batteries. Most e-Waste facilities take electric bike batteries, and many bike shops also allow you to give them batteries for recycling.
E-Bike battery recycling in the US and Canada is generally managed by Call2Recycle. The large organization’s e-Bike battery cycling program has partnered with more than 40 bike brands and 20 PeopleForBikes member companies to ensure batteries are safely and responsibly handled and kept out of landfills
Unlike smaller batteries, you can’t just drop off your e-Bike’s power pack at a general Call2Recycle collection box or your local Home Depot or hardware store (they often accept batteries). Call2Recycle has a huge network of participating retailers and bike shops that can accept your bike battery.
For example, e-Bikers can drop batteries at Trek stores or Rad Power Bikes RadRetail locations. Find the nearest Call2Recycle location near you that accepts e-Bike batteries with this tool.
Recycle your battery properly
When your battery gets old or loses performance, don’t try to repair it yourself. Opening the battery is dangerous for you and the battery. And if you choose to dispose of it, do not throw away the battery with household waste— this can cause dangerous short circuits, fire, and mix with flammable materials. Recently, New York City even required all electric bikes to have safer UL-certified batteries. Stay safe and be smart with e-Bike batteries!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I recycle my e-Bike battery?
How do I know when my e-Bike battery needs to be replaced?
Over time, e-Bike batteries gradually wear down through normal use, diminishing their capacity to hold a full charge. As a result, you’ll notice a decline in the distance your bike can travel on a single charge. While there’s no fixed lifespan, a noticeable drop in performance—especially if it affects your daily riding habits—is a clear sign that it’s time for a replacement.
Will it cost money to recycle my used e-Bike battery?
No, you can typically hand in your old or defective e-Bike battery free of charge to specialized bike shops, which will take care of it properly and send it to a recycling facility. Some waste or e-waste facilities charge a use fee to dispose of material.
Key Takeaways
- Recycling works: Nearly three-fourths of an e-Bike battery’s materials can be recovered and reused, making recycling highly effective and sustainable.
- It’s free and easy: Most bike shops and e-waste facilities—especially those partnered with Call2Recycle—accept e-Bike batteries at no cost.
- Safety matters: Never throw your battery in household trash—doing so poses fire and chemical risks. Use certified collection points for safe disposal.
