Shared micromobility provider Lime has selected Redwood Materials as its exclusive battery recycling partner in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands, the companies said on Monday. The partnership aims to recover and recycle valuable minerals from batteries used in Lime’s electric scooters and e-bikes.
Under the agreement, Redwood Materials will extract lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper from used battery cells and reintegrate them into the battery supply chain. While the deal does not include all of Lime’s global operations — such as in Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe — it represents the company’s first direct relationship with a battery recycler in North America.
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“This collaboration marks significant progress towards establishing a more circular supply chain, helping ensure our batteries are not only responsibly recycled once they reach their end of life, but that their materials are returned into the battery supply chain,” said Andrew Savage, vice president for sustainability at Lime.
Lime has previously worked with other recycling partners, including Sprout and downstream vendors, and currently maintains additional agreements with Gomi in the U.K. and VoltR in France. These partnerships repurpose viable battery cells for use in consumer electronics, such as portable speakers and battery packs.
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The recycling effort is also part of Lime’s broader climate strategy. The company has pledged to decarbonize its operations by 2030 and reports a 59.5% reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions since 2019. It plans to release updated emissions data in May.
Redwood Materials, a Nevada-based startup founded by former Tesla executive JB Straubel, has become a major player in the battery recycling space. The company recently opened a research and development facility in San Francisco and holds similar agreements with Lyft, Rad Power Bikes, and Specialized.