Dutch bicycle battery recycling given new focus

The Netherlands – Over many decades, the Netherlands has built a reputation as a nation of cyclists. Unsurprisingly, the Dutch are also fanatical users of electric bikes: in recent years, the number of e-bikes has increased rapidly and now totals more than a million. As a result, the number of discarded bike batteries has grown quickly too.

E-bike batteries have to be replaced every two to three years and some 200 000 are discarded annually in the Netherlands.

To ensure these do not end up in the environment or in a landfill, the Dutch Battery Foundation together with manufacturers and importers has now launched a new collection infrastructure and recycling programme.

Large collection barrels have been installed at bicycle shops across the country; from there, the batteries are taken to a sorting centre where they are classified by type and prepared for transportation to recycling companies. According to the Dutch Battery Foundation, e-bike producers and importers pay a fee averaging Euro 3 per battery to be recycled.

For more information, visit: www.stibat.nl