According to a report by the All Japan News Network (ANN) on July 4th, Japan will extract rare earths from obsolete household air conditioners for the first time. Japanese media reports that this is an attempt by Japan to reduce its dependence on China, given China's ongoing efforts to strengthen export controls in Japan.
According to reports, Mitsubishi Electric has taken the lead in this project. The recycling work is carried out by different professional companies according to specific processes. The main procedure is as follows: first, the compressor is removed from the recycled outdoor unit and disassembled. Then, the magnets containing rare earth elements such as neodymium are extracted and refined before being reused in product manufacturing.
According to estimates, through this recycling system, approximately 35% of the rare earths required for air conditioning manufacturing can be replaced by recycled materials.
According to Japanese media, in the past, due to the high difficulty and high cost of disassembling household appliances, the recycling of rare metals in Japan mainly occurred in industrial waste, wind turbines, and some new energy vehicles. The large-scale and systematic recycling of rare metal magnets for household air conditioners is a first attempt in Japan.
According to a report by Reuters on July 4, the person in charge of the project supported by the Japanese government said Friday that Japan will begin trial mining of rare earth-bearing silt near the southern bird island in the deep sea next year. According to Japanese media calculations, with an annual consumption of 20,000 tons, the reserves of rare earths in the waters near the southern bird island could last Japan for 800 years.
However, Koji Okabe, a professor at Tokyo University in Japan, said, "If efforts are made to domesticate rare earths, it is estimated that another 10 years or more will be needed."
According to Masayuki Shima, a researcher at the First Life Institute in Japan, due to China's “ubiquitously low” smelting costs, Japan is currently unable to compete with China. China has established integrated facilities for mining and smelting. It currently accounts for about 70% of the world's supply of rare earth ores and more than 90% of the global refining market share.
Regarding the question of "strengthening export controls on dual-use items to Japan," the Chinese Ministry of Commerce previously stated that, in accordance with laws and regulations, exports of all dual-use items are prohibited for Japanese military users, military purposes, and any other end-users involved in enhancing Japan's military strength. The purpose is to prevent "re-militarization" and nuclear proliferation ambitions, and this measure is completely legitimate, reasonable, and lawful.
