On September 1–2, at the 9th International Secondary Lead and Battery Recycling Conference held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Japanese online media company IRuniverse gave a presentation on the current situation of lead battery recycling in Japan during the second day of the event.
The presentation was titled “Current Status of Lead-Acid and Lithium Battery Recycling in Japan.”
There were only a few presentations from Japan, and IRuniverse was the only media organization to present. Moreover, it was the only presentation that analyzed the current state and challenges of battery recycling in Japan, which drew particular attention.
The presentation was delivered in relay format by company president Mr. Tanamachi and journalist Ms. Midori Fushimi, and the outline is as follows:
1. Introduction of IRuniverse’s Business
In addition to disseminating information as a media company, IRuniverse also organizes seminars and conferences, providing opportunities for networking among industry players.
2. Japan’s Used Car Market
While vehicles are lasting longer, the average age of cars is becoming younger due to the increase in used car exports.
This outflow of used cars abroad has led to a shortage of lead-acid batteries available for recycling, posing a growing threat to Japan’s lead smelting industry, which heavily depends on recycled lead.
That said, Japan still has sufficient volumes of recycled lead, and since its prices are cheaper than in China, exports are increasing, attracting Chinese refiners into the market.
3. Lead Battery Recycling
In 2024, the Japanese government partially lifted its export ban on lead battery scrap to South Korea, for the first time since export restrictions were imposed in 2018.
Exports of lead scrap (containing dross) from Japan peaked in 2023 and have since begun to decline. Malaysia had been a major destination, but imports from Japan are now decreasing as the Malaysian government tightens control over illegal lead imports.
Conclusions
- Japan’s lead battery recycling market remains tight.
- Domestic supply of lead battery scrap is declining.
- Primary smelters (Toho Zinc, Mitsui Mining & Smelting, Mitsubishi Materials) have been increasing their scrap input ratios, further exacerbating the raw material shortage.
- With the entry of new players, competition for scrap is intensifying.
4. Current Status of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Lithium-ion battery (LIB) production in Japan now accounts for about half of total domestic battery production in terms of value, and it continues to grow.
Exports of LIBs from Japan are also increasing, with a sharp rise observed in 2025.
LIB scrap generated in Japan (mainly from factories) is estimated at around 20,000 tons per year, of which 30–40% (6,000–8,000 tons) is exported as black mass. In reality, the figure is likely even higher.
Companies engaged in LIB recycling include JX, DOWA, Matsuda Sangyo, Asaka Riken, VOLTA, among others.
Of the total scrap generated, about 2,000 tons are procured from end-of-life vehicles through reverse auctions. However, many EVs and hybrids are being exported abroad as used cars, raising the question of whether export restrictions should be considered.
Overall, EV adoption in Japan remains limited, with EVs accounting for less than 2% of passenger cars. Hybrids and gasoline vehicles remain dominant, which explains the slow growth of LIB scrap. At the same time, exports of deregistered EVs are on the rise.
Black mass prices have been declining since peaking in 2022.
Major export destinations are Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea.
Since only a limited number of companies manufacture LIBs domestically and none of them use recycled feedstock, Japan relies on exports.
Domestic LIB factories planned by major automakers (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda) are all facing delays.
The market for lithium-ion batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) is expanding rapidly.
The key here is LFP (lithium iron phosphate), but production in Japan is almost nonexistent, making the country heavily dependent on imports from China.
From the standpoint of sustaining domestic industry and economic security, Japan urgently needs to promote LFP development and manufacturing as a national strategy.
In summary, EV adoption in Japan is still limited, with small domestic demand, but the need for LFP in grid energy storage is growing rapidly, representing a major business opportunity.
Conclusions
- LIB recycling in Japan is still in its infancy.
- LFP will be the mainstream technology and the key to the future.
Unless a domestic LFP recycling system is built quickly, Japan’s battery industry will face a serious crisis.
5. Q&A Session
Given Japan’s limited presence compared with China and South Korea, reports on Japanese battery recycling are rare, which drew significant attention from participants.
Questions included:
How many companies are engaged in lead recycling in Japan? → About 16–18 companies.
What is their capacity? → Around 300,000 tons.
Several overseas media outlets also participated in the conference. Many learned about IRuniverse’s activities for the first time and even proposed mutual cooperation, making the event highly fruitful for the company.
(IRuniverse – Y. Akai)
