Lithium battery recycling

AndyBike

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Nov 8, 2020
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Is it always just the case of finding somewhere to dump one of these(ie a council dump, not meaning the side of the road) or is it worth anything for lithium extraction and reuse ?.

They are for the most part the expensive bit of the bike, and i'd have thought worth something at least.
 

Benjahmin

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Nov 10, 2014
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Something I want to know too.
The last time Jimmy recelled a battery for me he sent the old group of cells back with the recelled battery. Seems to say he can't get rid of them either.
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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you can kill all the cells if you dump it in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks then you can bin it or just throw it in the canal.

any cell that is down to 1000 mah or less is pretty useless even for flash lights.
 

StuartsProjects

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May 9, 2021
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you can kill all the cells if you dump it in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks then you can bin it or just throw it in the canal.
any cell that is down to 1000 mah or less is pretty useless even for flash lights.
Chuck them in a canal ?
 

soundwave

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round here it is the local dumping ground even cars lol ;)
 

Nealh

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I lob them in a bucket of water to die, then take them around to the outlaws shop/business where they get paid by weight for scrap batteries.
 

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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Is it always just the case of finding somewhere to dump one of these(ie a council dump, not meaning the side of the road) or is it worth anything for lithium extraction and reuse ?.

They are for the most part the expensive bit of the bike, and i'd have thought worth something at least.
There is just one lithium recycling centre in the EU, recovering metallic lithium from battery cells, it's in Belgium.

I don't know if anything from here is sent there, probably not.

The future looks brighter though, the advent of e-cars has meant that at least one cell recycling centre for lithium is planned here in England.
.
 

Nealh

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For lipo/ pouch celsl I lob them in the general rubbish once I get a 0v reading . Sadly the recycling is very poor and afaict it simply doesn't occur.
 

WheezyRider

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Apr 20, 2020
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I wouldn't recommend putting the battery in a bucket of water to die. If anything nasty leaches out of the cells, it will end up in the water, which will probably get put down the drain.
 

PC2017

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StuartsProjects

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I wouldn't recommend putting the battery in a bucket of water to die. If anything nasty leaches out of the cells, it will end up in the water, which will probably get put down the drain.
+1.

That approach sounds only slightly better than dumping them in the canal ?

I wonder if anyone has contacted their local authority for their views on a sensible way to dispose of old lithium batteries ?
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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I wonder if anyone has contacted their local authority for their views on a sensible way to dispose of old lithium batteries ?
The council tip in my town (Southend-on-Sea) take old batteries for recycling.
Batteries are considered as hazardous materials (group DG9) but battery cells don't contain hazardous substances (ROHS). If they burn, the plastic, electrolyte and electronics will produce toxic smoke.
 
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StuartsProjects

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The council tip in my town (Southend-on-Sea) take old batteries for recycling.
Mine does too, I have taken old RC model LiPos and single lithium batteries to my own local re-cycling centre.

Not sure what their attitude is to the much larger eBike batteries though.
 
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I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
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Some supermarkets have battery collection points, where I guess a lot of small lithium batteries end up. After careful ebike battery pack disassembly, would it be wise and feasible to dispose of the cells in small batches? I hope these supermarkets don't simply throw them in their bins.
 

Nealh

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The reason I dump them in a bucket of water is to kill them and 100% reduce shorting from causing a fire. Simply taking them to a recycling centre dosen't render them safe, esp with the handling they are likely to receive when there. Simply piling them in to a bin with other batteries would not be safe.
The water is then used on the lawn or the weed patch.
 
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I893469365902345609348566

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Oct 20, 2021
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The reason I dump them in a bucket of water is to kill them and 100% reduce shorting from causing a fire. Simply taking them to a recycling centre dosen't render them safe, esp with the handling they are likely to receive when there. Simply piling them in to a bin with other batteries would not be safe.
The water is then used on the lawn or the weed patch.
Are you sure that's safe? Unless your garden is completely devoid of all plants and is continually being dug over, I think there is the possibility of toxins being spread through the "Wood Wide Web". Therefore if you grow veg to eat anywhere nearby, this could pose a health hazard. Then there is the issue of ground water contamination to consider.

Might it be better to allow the water to evaporate, then collect and somehow safely dispose of any residue which remains? I really don't know.

 
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StuartsProjects

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Some supermarkets have battery collection points, where I guess a lot of small lithium batteries end up.
They do, so rather than chuck the dead AAs in the bin, I put them in my car, so next time I am at the supermarket I donate them there. I have seen notices (Aldi as I recall) 'no battery packs' so I guess donating an eBike battery is not appreciated.
 

PC2017

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What actually happens to batteries after you drop them off at local councils or super markets? I highly suspect that as with most, but not all plastics they go to landfill, just see where most "donated" clothes end up, on the streets and in the rivers of a once beautiful remote town in Ghana. I highly suspect similar disposal techniques to hazardous chemicals, landfill that is designed not to contaminate the water table, either that or they are shipped off to the middle of nowhere so they can be dismantled for a meagre income by means of unsafe rare earth material salvage. We often pop "recyclables" in the bin and forget about them, but until recently I never saw a branded bottle made from 100% recycled plastic and even now most are made from 50% recycled material, in fact aluminium cans where the only thing to fully reused afaik.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
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They do, so rather than chuck the dead AAs in the bin, I put them in my car, so next time I am at the supermarket I donate them there. I have seen notices (Aldi as I recall) 'no battery packs' so I guess donating an eBike battery is not appreciated.
If they can be disassembled from the pack safely, would they object to a small number of individual cells from a cell pack I wonder? Do ceramic bolt cutters exist?
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
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We often pop "recyclables" in the bin and forget about them, but until recently I never saw a branded bottle made from 100% recycled plastic and even now most are made from 50% recycled material, in fact aluminium cans where the only thing to fully reused afaik.
It's all rather depressing

 
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