China figured out how to sell EVs. Now it has to dispose of old batteries.

China's early electric vehicle batteries are reaching retirement age, creating a massive waste challenge as an estimated 820,000 tons of degraded batteries need disposal this year, rising to 1 million tons by 2030. While major manufacturers like BYD and CATL have established formal recycling programs with high metal recovery rates, a dangerous gray market has emerged where unlicensed shops offer higher prices but dump toxic wastewater and sell refurbished batteries as new.