The Ridstar Q20 and Q20 Pro e-bikes have been flagged for fire-hazard risk by the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission. (Courtesy U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission)
A federal warning about fire-prone e-bikes has exposed a local headache on the North Fork: getting rid of the batteries safely and legally isn’t so simple.
In Southold, Solid Waste Management coordinator Nick Krupski said the town can only accept small lithium-ion batteries roughly the size of a drill battery at its transfer station, leaving larger e-bike batteries to outside contractors or hazardous waste handlers.
“Someone needs to address this,” Mr. Krupski said. “This isn’t a Southold problem — it’s a country-wide problem.”
His comments come on the heels of a warning by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to stop using two Ridstar e-bike models, the Q20 and Q20 pro, due to fire risks tied to their batteries and wiring.
“There have been at least 11 reports of fire, including one burn injury, five reports of smoke inhalation and two reports of property damage totaling more than $40,000 tied to the bikes,” the CSPC said on March 19.
The agency urged people to remove the battery from the Ridstar e-bike and dispose of it following local hazardous waste procedures. Hazardous batteries should not be sold or given away. The flagged Ridstar e-bikes were sold on Amazon, Ridstar’s website and Walmart.
The CSPC said the manufacturer, Huizhou Xingqishi Sporting Goods Co., Ltd., of China, refused to agree to an acceptable recall.
“It puts the consumer in a weird place,” Mr. Krupski said, referring to their limited options.
In Riverhead, residents can bring household electronics to dispose off at its Stop Throwing Out Pollutants collection May 30. However, big and small appliances are not accepted at that time — so a bike could be rejected. For more information, call 631-727-3200, ext. 391.
Arrow Scrap, with offices in Holbrook and West Babylon, is one Long Island company that accepts lithium-ion batteries. For information on how to dispose of lithium-ion batteries at their facilities, call 631-319-1910 for the Holbrook location or 631-491-2061 for the West Babylon location.
Many top bicycle brands and bicycle shops participate in an e-bike battery recycling program designed to keep them out of landfills. Shops in the area where e-bike batteries can be dropped off include Rotations in Southampton, Kreb Cycle in Eastport and Rocky Point Cycle in Rocky Point. Use hungryforbatteries.org to see if your e-bike brand is included in the program.
New York Bicycling Coalition board president Daniel Flanzig advised consumers to purchase e-bikes that have safety certifications from Underwriters Laboratories Solutions or other certified products.
“Do not charge when not at home and charge outside the home, not in attached garages,” Mr. Flanzig said of e-bikes, which are popular with food delivery workers.
Used lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not be thrown out in household garbage or recycling bins.
For more information on how to safely dispose of lithium-ion batteries, visit epa.gov.
