The disposal of e-scooters is an issue that is becoming increasingly important as these electric means of transport have become an integral part of urban mobility in recent years. As an environmentally friendly alternative to cars and a practical means of transport, e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular, but the trend also brings challenges. Wear and tear, technical defects, accidents and the limited service life of lithium-ion batteries mean that more and more electric scooters have to be disposed of. Companies are also faced with seasonal fleet changes at sharing providers and the need to replace older models with more modern and efficient versions.
Disposing of e-scooters is not trivial. Simply leaving an e-scooter at the side of the road is just as illegal as a disposal in the rubbish bin – which usually doesn't fit an e-scooter anyway. Bulky waste will also refuse to take an e-scooter. When compressed in the waste collection vehicle, the batteries of an e-scooter can be short-circuited and that can lead to a thermal runaway. The subsequent fire can then easily destroy the entire collection vehicle. Through separate disposal, the legislator also wants to ensure that the hazardous substances contained in the batteries are not released and that valuable raw materials such as lithium are recycled.
So how are e-scooters and their batteries disposed of correctly? The answer depends on whether the electric scooter is disposed of as a whole or just the e-scooter battery. It also depends on whether the e-scooter has a type approval or not. This is required from an output of 4 KW or a maximum speed of 45 km/h – i.e. not normally for electric scooters, but for motor scooters with an electric engine.
When disposing of an e-scooter without type approval as a whole, it counts as waste electrical equipment that falls under the regulations of the German “ElektroG”. This means that the e-scooter can be disposed of at municipal recycling centres. On the other hand, it can also be disposed of at most retailers when purchasing a new electric scooter. Retailers do not have to offer disposal without the purchase of a new e-scooter, as electric scooters are larger than 25 cm.
When disposing of an e-scooter with type approval in its entirety (electric motor-scooter), consumers must adhere to the same rules as when disposing of electric cars or electric motorbikes. Consumers can hand in their vehicles to specialised scrap dealers in order to obtain a certificate of destruction.
The same rules apply for the separate disposal of e-scooter batteries as for the disposal of e-bike batteries. E-scooter batteries are subject to the German “Batteriegesetz” and are classed as industrial batteries. These can be disposed of free of charge at any retailer who sells industrial batteries or devices equipped with them. In addition to most bicycle dealers and car dealers, this also applies to many specialist electrical shops and supermarkets. However, batteries from e-scooters must be disposed of separately from normal household batteries. This means that they must not simply be thrown into battery collection containers.
The rules for the disposal of e-scooters and their batteries mentioned above apply to consumers. In principle, dealers and rental companies can contact the manufacturer if they have to dispose of e-scooters. RETRON is happy to support companies and local authorities in the safe storage, safe transport and proper disposal of lithium-ion batteries and other batteries – including those from e-scooters. Get in touch with us.
The above text reflects the legal situation in Germany. The rules may be different in other countries.
