JP End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act (Act on Recycling, etc. of End-of-Life Vehicles)
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Fully enforced January 2005 (Ongoing updates for EV battery recycling targets)
Overview
The End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act is designed to ensure the proper treatment and resource circulation of the several million end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) discarded each year. It requires automobile manufacturers to collect and properly recycle three specified components (fluorocarbons, airbags, and automobile shredder residue), and establishes a registration and licensing system for related businesses such as dismantlers and shredding operators, along with tracking through an electronic manifest system known as the Automobile Recycling System.
Enforcement Timeline
2002: The End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act is enacted.
January 1, 2005: The act takes full effect.
2015: The target recycling rate for automobile shredder residue is raised, establishing sustained achievement of 70% or higher.
Ongoing: Guidelines for the collection and recycling of components such as drive batteries from next-generation vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, continue to be developed.
Business Impact
Automobile manufacturers and importers are required to set appropriate fees for the proper collection and recycling of fluorocarbons, airbags, and shredder residue generated from vehicles they have sold, and to meet recycling targets.
For parts suppliers and dismantling businesses, compliance with pre-dismantling and sorted-collection standards and the use of the electronic manifest system for proper transfer management are also essential requirements.