Why Osaka matters
Panasonic Energy cell engineering and pilot lines. Active names in and around the city include Panasonic Energy.
Manufacturing clusters generate production scrap and off-spec cells during line ramp-up, warranty returns from early vehicles, and validation packs from test tracks. The material is usually single-chemistry and well documented, which makes it some of the cleanest feed in the network.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving site | Yokohama — Kanagawa Diagnostics Works (Cell Grading & Diagnostics) |
| Pickup SLA | 72 hours |
| Coverage radius | 206 km |
| Collection cadence | Weekly or fortnightly scheduled scrap runs |
| Regulatory framework | Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources and the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act |
How collection works here
We run scheduled scrap collections from plant gates and tier-one suppliers, with dedicated bins per chemistry and a weighbridge reconciliation against each supplier's scrap log. Off-spec cells that never entered a vehicle are graded separately because their value profile is different from end-of-life packs.
Loads move in Class 9 compliant transport with pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork to Yokohama, Kanagawa, where they are weighed, logged and graded.
- Cell and pack assembly plants
- Tier-one module suppliers
- Vehicle assembly lines
- Validation and test centres
What the rules require in Japan
Japan relies on manufacturer-led take-back. Small rechargeable batteries are collected through an industry scheme, and lithium-ion batteries removed from end-of-life vehicles are recovered through programmes run by automakers within the vehicle recycling system. Processors need waste management licences from prefectural governments.
Lithium-ion batteries move as dangerous goods under national road and marine rules, with UN 3480 / UN 3481 packaging.
- Route packs from end-of-life vehicles through the automaker take-back network
- Use processors licensed by the prefecture
- Keep transfer records under the vehicle recycling system
- Follow export controls for battery waste under Basel implementation law
Field note
What you get paid and what you file
Settlement is quoted per pack after measured state of health, not by guesswork on age. Modules holding 75% or more of rated capacity settle at second-life rates; the remainder settle against black mass metal content.
Certificates carry achieved recovery percentages and downstream vendor disclosure for reporting under Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources and the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act.