Waste management and resource reutilization in China’s new energy vehicle industry

Purpose This paper aims to investigate sustainable waste management and resource reutilization in China’s new energy vehicle industry, focusing on end-of-life battery recycling. It examines how metal price fluctuations and government subsidy schemes influence consumer replacement behavior and recycling company scale and evaluates the integration of reuse (“laddering”) into a circular economy. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods framework combines quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyze relationships among metal prices, subsidies, consumer willingness to spend and secondary-battery supply using data from 2019 to 2024. Case studies of leading recyclers and stakeholder surveys inform policy and technology insights, while comparative analysis benchmarks practices in Japan, the USA and Germany. Findings Results indicate that higher metal prices significantly reduce consumers’ willingness to replace batteries (β = –0.049, p < 0.01), whereas government subsidies positively affect replacement and collection rates (β = 0.0975, p < 0.01). Recycling efficiency strongly predicts second-life battery supply (β = 0.874, p < 0.01). Price incentives drive spending more than interaction effects. Comparative benchmarks reveal China’s 55% return rate lags Japan’s 70% and Germany’s 92% recovery. Originality/value This study uniquely integrates econometric analysis, SEM, case studies and international comparison to provide a holistic view of China’s battery recycling ecosystem. It identifies specific artificial intelligence/machine learning innovations such as state-of-health diagnostics and automated sorting that can boost yields by 10%–15% and offers actionable policy recommendations for harmonizing subsidies and enhancing regulatory consistency.