The Automobile Recycling Law was enacted in July 2002 to govern appropriate treatment and recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and was enforced in January 2005.
Under this law, vehicle importers are required to recover or collect `fluorocarbons,' 'airbags, etc. (airbag inflators and seatbelt pretentioners)' and 'shredder dusts' from their ELVs for appropriate recycling purposes.

Outline of Recycling Mechanism & Relevant Requirements

1. Automobile manufacturers and importers must bear the human and economic burden involved in the building of an automobile recycling scheme.

2. Automobile users must pay costs associated with appropriate treatment and recycling of ELVs and the funds collected from the users are deposited at Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center (JARC).

3. Data on ELVs are stored in the electronic manifest system.

4. Automobile manufacturers and importers must ensure that the 'fluorocarbons,' 'airbags' and 'shredder dusts' they have recovered will be appropriately treated or recycled.

5. Small-scale Importers

Small-scale importers, of which the number of newly registered vehicles on an annual basis is below 10,000 units in any of the five preceding fisical years, are entitled to entrust the practice of the handling and recycling of 'fluorocarbons,' 'airbags' and 'shredder dusts' to the Designated Recycling Institute, while exempted from the mandatory achievement of the recycling quota.
Nevertheless, the other legal requirements as per the recycling fee deposit, provision of recycling information and the disclosure of recycling incomings and outgoings, etc. still lie with those small-scale importers, just as in the case of Japanese vehicle manufacturers and the larger-scale vehicle importers.

Contribution by Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA)

• JAIA has its own Recycling Committee to discuss approaches to address challenges.
• JAIA fulfilled its role by participating in the formation of the automobile recycling scheme.
• Since the Automobile Recycling Law was enforced, JAIA has conducted activities for enhanced public credibility in automobile recycling and smoother operation of the scheme.
• JAIA sends its personnel on loan on behalf of automobile importers to make its contribution in human resource allocation.