The information below was provided by Bosch and can be found on their here.
How does eBike battery recycling work in the U.S.?
PeopleForBikes.org, a national bicycling advocacy organization, and the bicycle industry’s trade association have partnered with Call2Recycle.org, the largest, most reliable battery recycling program in the U.S., to establish the first industry-wide eBike battery recycling program. Bosch, as well as over a dozen other eBike and system brands, have been founding organizations in this nationwide initiative. Retailers will begin enrolling in the program in February 2022 and recycling will be available starting summer 2022. Encourage your local retailer to get involved! Read more about the recycling program here.
Who is responsible for recycling eBike batteries?
Battery recycling oversight is regulated at a national level. Some states also have recycling regulations. Responsibility for actual recycling, however, lies with the battery manufacturer. When an eBike or related product crosses a national border, the importer—on record assumes the responsibility for recycling.
How good is the recycling efficiency of Bosch eBike batteries?
Bosch eBike is in dialogue with many recycling companies and supports new and sustainable recycling methods. Recycling efficiency depends on the recycling process used by the recycling companies. In the recycling processes used by the German GRS industry solution, more than 80% of valuable raw materials are recovered and can be reused for new products. You can view the performance review for the “eMobility” industry solution in Germany from 2020 here. Based on the calculation method from Section 2(19) German Batteries Act (Batteriegesetz), the recycling quotas achieved in 2020 for spent industrial batteries was 100%.