China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives issued a policy notice on April 3 to standardize lithium-ion battery recycling and strengthen oversight of electric vehicle battery lifecycles. The guidelines call for expanded collection networks, enhanced roles for leading recyclers, and the deployment of digital monitoring tools.
Under the new framework, electric bicycle manufacturers and lithium battery producers are urged to partner with certified recycling companies to establish collection points and temporary storage facilities. This producer-linked approach mirrors recent requirements in China’s broader EV sector, where automakers and battery suppliers must participate in end-of-life management and support recycling service channels.
The policy highlights China Recycling Group as a key recycler, encouraging the firm to boost lithium battery processing capacity and adopt flexible, region-specific collection models. This emphasis on major recyclers supports an industry trend toward centralized recycling operations, where material recovery and processing are increasingly consolidated among a few large players.
To improve traceability, regulators will promote digital platforms that record the origin, volume, and destination of batteries at each recycling stage. This expands on the national power battery traceability platform launched on April 1, which assigns a unique digital identity to each battery and requires manufacturers, vehicle producers, maintenance providers, and recyclers to upload data throughout production, use, and recycling phases.
By integrating physical collection networks with centralized data tracking, the policy aims to create a closed-loop management system. Local authorities are directed to adopt unified technical guidelines and develop scalable recycling models, while central agencies will conduct regular progress reviews and system audits.
These measures build on stricter battery recycling regulations scheduled for 2026, which mandate that automakers and battery manufacturers assume responsibility for retired batteries, expand formal recycling channels, and enhance oversight of handling processes as volumes of end-of-life batteries grow. Observers say the updated policy underlines China’s commitment to more sustainable battery supply chains and a fully managed electric vehicle ecosystem.
Source: CarNewsChina
