In Depth: As Risks Mount, China Races to Regulate Battery Recycling

China’s ardent efforts in the green transition have made it the world’s largest market for electric vehicles (EVs), the vast majority of which are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Just how to handle these batteries when they inevitably run out of juice is causing a headache for the industry and policymakers alike.

While the rapid uptake of EVs has driven China to become the biggest producer and consumer of lithium-ion batteries, government policies and strict enforcement of regulation for their reuse and recycling has lagged.