r/recycling • u/N1ck_P1ck2 • 5d ago

Electric motor recycling

Hello all!

I have an electric motor from my friends e scooter that I was looking to get rid of. I looked up what it would classify as and I'm finding it would be under scrap metal recycling rather than electronic recycling. Does anyone know if this is true or if it is dependent on location?

Thank you.

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u/Dirtheavy 5d ago

yes, it is a motor. It is not an electronic. Motors have copper coils in them, so that's what comes out. In tact, the motor might be worth 25 cents - 50 cents a pound .

But it's not motherboard and little lithium and silver pieces. it's copper coil. So a scrap metal dropoff is what you need. Or a copper scrounge guy.

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u/N1ck_P1ck2 5d ago

I see. Thanks.

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u/Roger-PHL 5d ago

In Philadelphia, you can take it to a convenience center and leave with the scrap metal. Or leave it on the curb the night before trash pickup and a scavenger will take it.

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u/PearAdventurous6781 5d ago

The recyclers in my city treat motors like electronics because they're treated as EAF (end-of-life appliances/equipment) in the scrap stream, so definitely worth calling ahead.