Zenbird Editorial TeamJapanese telecommunications operator KDDI Corporation commenced a free mobile battery collection trial across four of its directly operated retail stores in Tokyo beginning 1 August. Consumers will be able to drop off intact power banks without a prior reservation at au Style SHINJUKU, au Style IKEBUKURO, au Style UENO, and GINZA 456 Created by KDDI. The trial will run until 31 October.
There is constant vigilance over safety concerns of improper disposal of aging lithium-ion batteries, and now there is heightened fire risks during elevated summer temperatures. While consumer awareness of potential thermal hazards is high, lack of proper disposal locations remains a primary barrier to safe recycling. KDDI is using their stores to lower disposal hurdles while recovering mineral resources, including lithium, cobalt, and nickel contained within power banks.
Transportation and processing of the collected units are managed by recycling firm VOLTA Inc. The current trial accepts mobile batteries regardless of manufacturer or carrier, provided they are not swollen or severely damaged. The collection excludes other products with embedded lithium-ion batteries, such as heated tobacco devices or wireless earphones. KDDI plans to evaluate the operational data from this trial to determine the viability of expanding store-based collection networks to other regions.
KDDI has maintained a long-standing collection scheme for used mobile phones across its national retail network, collaborating with Emulsion Flow Technologies on horizontal recycling processes aimed at extracting rare metals from end-of-life batteries for direct reintroduction into battery manufacturing supply chains. This trial could lead to a tighter uban mining process by involving telecommunications providers.
