Govt Mandates Collecting, Recycling of Some Devices with Lithium-Ion Batteries Amid Fire Concerns

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, July 6, 2025

The government plans to make it mandatory for makers and importers to collect and recycle mobile batteries, mobile phones and heated tobacco devices in response to more of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in these items.

The new regulations will prohibit consumers from disposing the three types of products as general waste and require them to cooperate with stores and municipal facilities in collection initiatives.

The government will designate these products as “specified resources-recycled products” under the Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources. As for designated products, manufacturers and importers are obligated to conduct collections and recycling through organizations that handle such services.

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the Environment Ministry are expected to formalize this decision by as early as August, following discussions with manufacturers, importers and other relevant entities. These products will be added to the list of the specified products through a government ordinance when the revised law takes effect in April next year.

Under the new designation, businesses that fail to conduct collection and recycling operations will face fines. Consumers will be required to dispose of these items appropriately, such as by depositing them in designated collection boxes at electronics retailers or local government facilities. While there are no penalties for consumers, failure to comply could result in receiving instruction from local governments or being charged with violating the Law on Waste Management and Public Cleaning.

A survey conducted by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry last year, which covered 43 cities nationwide, revealed that storage batteries amounted to 19.4% of lithium-ion battery-related items found in noncombustible waste, followed by heated tobacco products at 15.9% and movile phones at 12.4%.

According to the Environment Ministry, there were 21,751 incidents of smoke or fire caused by small lithium-ion batteries in waste collection vehicles, garbage-disposal facilities and other locations in fiscal 2023.