JP Act on Promotion of Recycling of Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Small Home Appliance Recycling Act)
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Effective April 1, 2013 (continuing operation)
Overview
The Small Home Appliance Recycling Act is a Japanese law promoting the collection and recycling of precious metals, such as gold and silver, and rare metals, such as lithium, cobalt, and indium, contained in used mobile phones, digital cameras, game consoles, personal computers, and other small home appliances. It covers nearly all electrical and electronic equipment (more than 100 items across 28 categories) not already covered by the four-item Home Appliance Recycling Act, and establishes a framework in which municipalities carry out separate collection and nationally certified operators (recycling businesses) carry out proper treatment and resource recovery.
Enforcement Timeline
August 2012: The Small Home Appliance Recycling Act is enacted and promulgated.
April 2013: The act takes full effect.
April 2022: Following the enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics, coordination is strengthened for advanced sorting and recycling of plastic materials from small appliances.
Ongoing: Measures continue to be considered to thoroughly separate lithium-ion battery-containing products, to prevent fire accidents, and to improve collection rates.
Business Impact
Companies that manufacture, import, or sell small home appliances and electronic equipment are expected to design products for ease of disassembly, such as batteries that are easy to remove, and to make greater use of recycled materials. Building their own collection schemes and working with certified operators to ensure proper treatment and traceability of resource circulation is also increasingly viewed as an important part of a company's extended producer responsibility (EPR). For products containing lithium-ion batteries in particular, establishing a collection system in coordination with industry associations and local governments is essential, given the risk of fires from improper disposal routes.