A used battery has value — it just has to be measured

Many owners think a battery that "won't hold a charge" is worthless. It isn't: as long as its cells keep usable capacity, they have value for stationary storage. The question isn't "is it worth anything?" but "how much, once tested?" — and that is measured, not guessed.

The five factors that set the buyback value

  • Recoverable capacity: the central criterion. Start from the nominal capacity (in kWh) and weight it by real SOH. A 2 kWh battery at 80% SOH offers 1.6 kWh recoverable.
  • Measured SOH: above the reuse threshold (70% at cirBATT), the cell has reuse value; below it, it belongs to material recycling, with no reuse value.
  • Chemistry: LFP and NMC/NCA are sought after for stationary use; some atypical chemistries or formats are harder to reuse.
  • Physical condition and safety: a swollen, punctured, corroded or water-damaged cell loses its reuse value (safety risk) — it then goes to recycling.
  • Format and traceability: a documented, unopened pack with known origin is worth more than one of uncertain provenance.

How cirBATT calculates payment

The principle is transparent: payment is indexed to the actually recoverable capacity, itself confirmed after workshop testing. The path:

  1. You describe the battery (type, brand, apparent condition) via the drop-off form, with a capacity figure if you know it.
  2. You receive an immediate, indicative estimate based on average values per device type.
  3. After receipt, each cell is tested (capacity, internal resistance, safety). The real recoverable capacity is measured.
  4. The final payment is confirmed on that basis — no surprises, because it rests on a measurement, not an estimate.

This online estimate is non-contractual: it gives an order of magnitude, and the test is what counts. A battery labelled "dead" can be a pleasant surprise if its cells are healthy; conversely, a pack with collapsed SOH will be valued as material recycling.

What reduces or cancels reuse value

Some defects tip a battery from reuse to plain recycling: swelling, an impact that punctured a cell, immersion, corroded contacts, or a locked original BMS making the pack unusable. In those cases the battery is still collected and processed in the appropriate stream — but with no buyback value under second life.

Why use a reuse channel rather than the bin

Dropping off at cirBATT has three advantages over plain disposal: you are paid up to the recoverable value, you avoid the fire risk of batteries thrown out with household waste, and you extend the useful life of cells that would otherwise be destroyed prematurely. Value follows the material rather than going up in smoke.