China to Issue Battery Recycling Standards Guide This Year

This signals a regulatory push to formalize a fragmented, rapidly growing sector, which could set de facto technical benchmarks for domestic recyclers and influence global supply chains for battery materials. The focus on green low-carbon and carbon accounting suggests the standards may align with broader ESG reporting requirements, potentially raising compliance costs for operators. Whether the guide becomes mandatory or remains voluntary—and how strictly carbon verification is enforced—will determine its real impact on market structure and cross-border trade flows.