Japan develops a recycling approach aimed at recovering a large share of lithium from spent electric-vehicle batteries. Multiple reports describe the method as achieving lithium recovery of up to about 90%, which—if scaled—could reduce the need for new lithium mining and help address supply-chain constraints tied to raw-material production. The reports frame the work as potentially important for the broader electric-vehicle industry because recycling can supply material back into battery production and lessen dependence on overseas sources of lithium. They also note that better recovery rates could lower the environmental footprint associated with extracting and refining new lithium, though specific emissions or lifecycle estimates are not detailed in the provided excerpts. The outlets presented the development as a technical advance in battery recycling, positioning it as a step toward more circular sourcing of battery materials. The available information focuses on the claimed recovery rate and the potential implications, without providing extensive details in the excerpts about the process chemistry, commercial timeline, or performance across different battery chemistries.