What Happens to Old Electric Scooters? Recycling and Battery Disposal
Your scooter's frame and motor are almost entirely recyclable. Its battery is a different story — and putting it in the trash is a genuine fire risk. Here's how to retire a scooter the right way.
Short answer: recycle it, don't trash it — and treat the battery separately from everything else. The lithium-ion pack that powers your scooter can catch fire if it's crushed, punctured, or tossed in with regular garbage, which is why it needs to go to a certified drop-off point rather than the curb. The frame, motor, and most of the electronics, on the other hand, are widely recyclable through ordinary scrap metal and electronics channels. Free battery drop-off programs exist across the US, and in most cases, getting rid of an old scooter responsibly costs nothing but a short trip.
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FAST FACTS
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How to responsibly get rid of an old scooter
If you just want the checklist, here it is:
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Never put the battery in household trash or curbside recycling. Damaged or crushed lithium-ion cells can ignite, and standard waste equipment isn't built to handle that.
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Identify or remove the battery. Some scooters have a removable pack; many have it integrated into the deck. Only remove it yourself if the manufacturer says it's safe to do so.
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Take the battery to a certified drop-off. A Battery Network location is usually the easiest option.
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Recycle the frame and remaining parts separately. The metal chassis, motor, and electronics can typically go to a scrap metal or electronics recycler.
Please note: These are general tips and may not be entirely accurate in time or region, local rules and accepted materials vary by city and recycler, so it's worth confirming options in your area before you make the trip.
Why proper battery disposal matters
The core reason is fire risk. The EPA notes that lithium-ion batteries are likely to be considered hazardous waste when discarded, since they can ignite or even explode if they're damaged, crushed, or short-circuited. When a battery ends up in the regular trash, it can get compacted or punctured by collection equipment and that damage is exactly what triggers a fire.
That risk doesn't stay contained to your trash can. A damaged battery tossed in with household garbage can spark fires in collection trucks and at waste and recycling facilities, putting sanitation workers and first responders in danger. Battery-related fires at these facilities have become common enough that waste management groups now run dedicated public awareness campaigns about it.
There's an environmental upside to doing this correctly, too. Recycling a lithium-ion battery through a certified program recovers materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel that would otherwise end up in a landfill keeping both the hazard and the raw material out of the ground.
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WHY THIS ISN'T OPTIONAL Battery fires at waste and recycling facilities aren't a rare edge case they happen often enough that federal agencies and industry groups run ongoing safety campaigns about it. A single mishandled battery can shut down a facility or start a fire that's difficult for first responders to put out. |
What an electric scooter is actually made of
Once you break a scooter down into its parts, most of it is straightforward to recycle. It's really just one component that needs special handling.
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Frame — Recyclable. Aluminum or steel — accepted by essentially any scrap metal recycler.
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Motor, controller & wiring — Recyclable. Handled by most electronics recyclers alongside the frame.
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Lithium-ion battery pack — Needs special handling. Certified battery recycler only — never trash or curbside bins.
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Tires & plastic panels — Varies by locality. Some areas need a separate stream for rubber and mixed plastics.
Step by step: preparing your scooter for recycling
1. Check whether it's worth repairing or reselling first
Before you recycle anything, consider whether the scooter can be fixed, refurbished, or sold. Reuse is the most eco-friendly option, and it's also usually the cheapest for you — more on this below.
2. Identify the battery type and location
On many scooters, the battery pack is integrated into the deck rather than sitting in an accessible compartment. Check your owner's manual or manufacturer support page to confirm whether yours is removable.
3. Only remove the battery if it's designed to come out
If the manufacturer doesn't explicitly support user removal, don't attempt it. Untrained removal of an integrated pack can damage the cells and create exactly the fire risk you're trying to avoid — a certified recycler or repair shop can handle this safely instead.
4. Tape the terminals and bag the battery
Following EPA guidance, cover the battery's terminals with non-conductive tape (or place the whole battery in its own plastic bag) before transporting it. This prevents a short circuit if the terminals contact metal or each other in transit.
5. Locate a certified recycler for each part
Battery and frame typically go to different places — see the drop-off options below.
Safe handling of damaged or swollen batteries
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TREAT AS A FIRE HAZARD A battery that's swollen, punctured, leaking, or getting warm on its own is not a normal recycling item — it's a fire risk that needs careful handling:
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Where to recycle your scooter and its battery
Battery drop-off: The Battery Network
Formerly known as Call2Recycle, this nonprofit runs thousands of free battery drop-off sites at major retailers across the US, searchable by ZIP code at locator.batterynetwork.org. Call ahead to confirm a location accepts larger e-mobility battery packs, since not every site takes them.
Locator tools
Earth911 is another searchable directory that can point you to nearby recyclers for both batteries and electronics.
Retail take-back
Some electronics and home improvement retailers accept batteries and small electronics at in-store bins, generally at no cost.
Local hazardous waste programs
Municipal household hazardous waste events and permanent facilities commonly accept lithium-ion batteries — check your city or county's waste management page.
Manufacturer & shop programs
Some brands and certified repair shops can advise on recycling or take-back options for their own products. Apollo's own take on the topic is covered in The Future of Battery Recycling for E-Scooters.
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NOTE Call ahead before dropping off a scooter battery specifically. Many battery drop-off bins are sized and rated for household electronics (phone, laptop, power tool batteries) and may not accept the larger-format packs used in e-scooters and e-bikes. |
Recycling options in Canada
The steps above apply everywhere — separate the battery, tape the terminals, use a certified drop-off — but the programs themselves differ by country. Here's where Canadian riders can take an old scooter or battery.
Canada: Call2Recycle Canada
Unlike its US counterpart (now The Battery Network), the Canadian program still operates as Call2Recycle Canada, with over 15,000 drop-off locations nationwide. It explicitly accepts e-bike and e-scooter batteries alongside household batteries, and its online locator can point you to the nearest public collection site. As with the US, call ahead to confirm a location can take a larger e-mobility pack.
Better options before recycling: repair, refurbish, resell
Recycling should generally be the last step, not the first. In the standard waste hierarchy, reuse and repair both come before recycling — and for a scooter, that usually means:
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Repair: A failing battery, tire, or controller can often be replaced through a certified service option, extending the life of an otherwise healthy scooter.
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Refurbish and resell: A working scooter can be sold or donated instead of discarded, especially if the frame and motor are still in good shape.
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Trade-in or take-back: Some brands offer programs that keep scooters in circulation or route them into proper recycling once they're truly at end of life.
Frequently asked questions
Can I throw away an old electric scooter battery?
No. The EPA classifies lithium-ion batteries as likely hazardous waste because they can catch fire or explode if damaged, crushed, or short-circuited. They should never go in household trash or curbside recycling bins — take them to a certified drop-off point instead.
Is the rest of the scooter recyclable?
Yes, mostly. The aluminum or steel frame, motor, and wiring are commonly accepted by scrap metal and electronics recyclers. Tires and mixed plastic body panels sometimes need a separate recycling stream depending on your municipality.
How do I safely prepare a battery for recycling?
Cover the terminals with non-conductive tape (or place the battery in its own plastic bag), keep it away from heat, and take it to a certified recycler. Many scooters have integrated battery packs, so professional removal is often the safer route rather than attempting it yourself.
What should I do with a swollen or damaged battery?
Treat it as a fire hazard: keep it away from heat and flammable materials, never put it in the trash, and contact the manufacturer, a certified recycler, or your local household hazardous waste service for handling instructions.
How do I recycle an electric scooter battery in Canada?
In Canada, Call2Recycle Canada operates over 15,000 drop-off locations and explicitly accepts e-bike and e-scooter batteries. Call ahead to confirm a specific location can take a larger e-mobility battery pack.
Is there a greener option than recycling?
Yes — reuse comes first. Repairing, refurbishing, reselling, or donating a working scooter keeps it in service longer and is more eco-friendly than recycling, which is best treated as the last step once a scooter is genuinely at the end of its life.
Key takeaways
Recycle your old scooter — don't trash it — and handle the battery separately from everything else. Tape the terminals, bag it, and take it to a certified drop-off like a Battery Network location; treat any swollen or damaged battery as a fire hazard first and a recycling item second. And before you recycle at all, consider whether repair or resale might be the better call — it usually is, if the scooter still has life left in it.
This guide reflects EPA guidance and industry information current as of August 2026 and is provided for general information only. Local recycling rules and accepted materials vary — confirm current options with your municipality or a certified recycler before disposing of a battery.
