AKRON, Ohio — A pile of broken scooters electric scooters in Akron seems never ending. Ben Baker owns Summit e-Waste, an electronic recycling facility. In August, Baker took on the slew of Spin scooters.
About 8,000 were headed straight for the landfill.
"We got these for recycling from a company called Spin. They had upgraded their scooters, and these were actually gathering in their Cleveland warehouse from all over the country," said Baker.
Mounds upon mounds sit outside Baker's company on Grant Street in Akron.
"We get the occasional person stopping by wondering what's going on with them, and we'll explain what we're doing with them," said Baker.
Some are stored inside, too. Summit e-Waste met with the Akron Fire Department to make sure storing the scooters inside is safe.
Baker said he is thankful his company was able to keep the scooters out of the landfill.
"They have lithium batteries in them, every one of them, large lithium battery packs down here on the bottom which you don't want that in the landfill seeping into the water."
A warehouse on Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland is where the scooters were previously stored, according to Spin.
The company said it no longer operates the warehouse or in the City of Cleveland. The company said it expects Summit e-Waste will recycle the scooters responsibly.
Recycling the equipment Summit e-Waste estimates will take years to complete.
One by one, each defunct scooter gets rolling again. The tedious job includes replacing the circuit board and software system.
"Top speed of 22 miles an hour, and they are controllable with a smartphone. If you do have younger teenagers who are riding them, and you don't want them to go 22 miles an hour, you can limit the speed, and they're unable to change it themselves," said Baker.
Baker said people are already buying them. From trash to travel, Baker wants to give all 8,000 new life.
"It does worry me once the new fad popularity of it dies out that there's a lot of scooters that are going to be thrown away. All the waste will stay out of the landfills because they're being re-used as full working units, which is great," said Baker.
Spin still operates in the City of Akron and the University of Akron, as well as the City of Kent and Kent State University, as well as Columbus, Ohio.
Anyone interested in a scooter can reach out to Summit e-Waste at 330-800-6657.
