Can lithium batteries be recycled? or do they just get thrown in the landfill?

[oigoi]

It is interesting to see the lifespan people are getting from their batteries and the issue of replacing the battery every couple of years or so.
I can see that the cost of a replacement battery is something to consider when choosing a bike, but from an environmental perspective it concerns me that all these lithium batteries are just being thrown in a landfill. Not very environmentally friendly - a lead acid battery is a lot heavier but it is easily recycled.

What are your experiences on this - have you found that you could get a lithium battery recycled when it was no longer worth using?

 

[flecc]

I've never found any positive indication of lithium recycling. I've always placed mine into the general battery recycling area with an adhesive label attached warning: LITHIUM BATTERY - MAY HAVE RESIDUAL CHARGE, for safety reasons of course, I wouldn't like to think of a manual worker carrying out small battery recycling work getting injured. Hopefully the label would prompt them to seek advice.

 

[trex]

Yes. They can be easily recyled.

 

[oigoi]

So you just take them to your local council waste / recycling depot? Glad to hear they don't just get landfilled.

 

[flecc]

Companies certainly exist to carry this out and hopfully councils use them, here's one I found listed covering lithium-ion.

 

[z0mb13e]

Didn't David say that the Wisper batteries that are returned to them are sent to a specialist for recycling?