E-bike leader supports circular rare earths supply chain

E-mobility operator Lime has partnered with US recycler Cyclic Materials to recycle rare earth magnets from decommissioned e-bikes and e-scooters.

Cyclic will recover the materials from retired Lime vehicles in the United States and Canada. These will be used in the production of new motors for electric vehicles, e-bikes, wind turbines and other electronics.

Lime currently operates a worldwide fleet of around 300 000 vehicles across 280 cities in 30 countries. It expanded into Greece and Japan in 2024.

Proprietary technology

Cyclic will use its proprietary technologies – MagCycle and REEPure – to reclaim the rare earths. Processing will be carried out at its Mesa facility in Arizona and at Kingston in Ontario. The plants have a combined processing capacity of 8 000 tonnes per year.

Less than 1% of rare earth magnets is recycled globally. Cyclic Materials says its collaboration marks one of the first large-scale initiatives in North America to recover rare earths from e-mobility vehicles.

Circular responsibility

‘We believe our responsibility doesn’t stop at moving people more efficiently and sustainably,’ says Andrew Savage, Lime’s VP of Sustainability. ‘It includes how we manage the full lifecycle of our vehicles and materials.

Cyclic Materials ceo Ahmad Ghahreman adds: ‘We are proud to support Lime’s bold net-zero and sustainability goals. And we are excited to help build a more resilient supply of rare earth elements across the industry.’

Ghahreman’s company raised over EUR 73 million in funding last year. The recycler now plans to invest EUR 26 million in expanding its annual processing capacity to 25 000 tonnes.