Japan's first AI-powered battery recycling service selected for government trial

The project addresses a pressing issue: improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries, often mixed with regular trash, has caused fires at waste processing facilities. JFE Engineering, which builds and operates such facilities, has witnessed these incidents firsthand. The iGomi service, born from an internal idea, uses AI to guide proper sorting and includes fire-resistant and extinguishing features. By testing across multiple neighboring municipalities, the project aims to demonstrate that a shared collection and transportation system can be more efficient and reduce the burden on individual cities. The selection by the environment ministry validates the approach and gives JFE a chance to refine a model that could be rolled out nationally, potentially setting a new standard for safe battery recycling in Japan.