Abstract
The aim of this research was to get some knowledge on the flow of spent automotive lead-acid batteries in Japan. Questionnaire surveys to battery users, interviews to municipal solid waste management departments and an analysis of trade statistics were conducted. The questionnaire surveys revealed that most of dead storage of spent batteries occurred when they were replaced at their home by new batteries which were bought at DIY shop or car shop. The interviews showed that amount of batteries which were illegally dumped and then collected by the municipalities depends on the availability of formal collection of spent batteries and the fee of the collection. The analysis of the trade statistics showed that the export of spent batteries is rapidly increasing from FY 2004 to FY 2005.
