OPINION


Stop Being a Dumping Ground for Used E-bike Batteries


By Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders B


ike shops across the UK have a problem, and it’s sitting in their back rooms, taking up space, creating fire risks, and costing them money they shouldn’t be


spending. Used e-bike batteries are piling up because too many suppliers are failing to meet their legal obligations. It’s time to stop being polite about it. Walk into almost any bike shop selling e-bikes, and you’ll find a collection of used batteries somewhere out back. Shop owners know they’re hazardous waste, they know they need proper disposal, but they’re stuck in a frustrating cycle of chasing suppliers who seem to think battery collection is optional. It isn’t. Under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators


Regulations 2009, the responsibility for collecting and recycling industrial batteries, which includes e-bike batteries,


lies squarely with the producers. Not the retailers. With growing scrutiny around battery fires and improper disposal, getting this wrong isn’t just inconvenient – it’s potentially catastrophic for your business. Stockpiling waste batteries increases fire risk and creates potential insurance issues. Meanwhile, every day you spend chasing suppliers for collection is time you’re not spending on customers. The irony is stark: the companies


profiting from putting these batteries on the market are leaving bike shops to deal with the aftermath, often at their


own expense. Here’s what every bike shop owner needs


to understand: you have no legal obligation to take back used e-bike batteries. Unlike Portable batteries (think bike lights, where there are collection schemes), Industrial batteries, like e-bike batteries, don’t benefit


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November 2025 | 45


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