Bicycle Association announces UK-wide battery collection and recycling service

The Bicycle Association (BA) has announced its intention to set up a UK-wide collection and recycling service for bike batteries.

The decision comes in anticipation of significant growth in the sale of electric bikes in the coming years.

In other European markets there is already a single collection programme running, with manufacturers participating alongside retailers who act as collection points.

The perceived benefits are simplicity at retail level, reducing cost and complexity for bike companies and a clear and convenient way for customers to return batteries.

Following a detailed tender process, European Recycling Platform UK (ERP) has been appointed by the BA as its partner to set up and deliver this programme.

Stephen Holt, BA retail trade manager, said: “With millions of electric bike sales ahead of us, this is an exciting initiative that will make it easy for retailers to safely store faulty and expired batteries in one fireproof rated drum – with one phone call when full to get it swapped out.

“With the support of electric bike producers, we hope to provide a national network of hundreds of collection points convenient for customers.

“We are looking forward to working closely with ERP, who are experts in the construction and implementation of such initiatives.”

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The BA and ERP will begin a trial shortly, the learnings from which will contribute to a proposed national rollout later this year.

This follows an update on the scheme to members at the BA annual conference in Birmingham where 150 delegates representing more than 90 UK bike businesses attended.

John Redmayne, managing director of ERP UK, said: “ERP UK are delighted to have been chosen by the Bicycle Association as their partner in developing a battery collection service for the sector.

“With growing numbers of e-bikes in use, the need for the sector to safely and responsibly deal with end of life batteries has been highlighted.

“We are looking forward to working with the association and using our experience in engineering circular economy solutions to develop a sector-specific service.”