Malaysia Discloses Battery Waste Volume Data for First Time, Mandatory Recycling Regime Not Yet in Place
【Malaysia Discloses Battery Waste Volume Data for First Time via Parliamentary Reply, Mandatory Recycling Regime Not Yet Established】Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability disclosed for the first time in a written parliamentary reply that 13,743.15 tonnes of SW103-category battery waste were generated nationwide from 2021 to 2025, with only seven licensed off-site recycling facilities in operation as of March 2026, located across Kedah, Selangor, Johor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Penang. The ministry also confirmed that a mandatory battery recycling (extended producer responsibility) regime for EV manufacturers has not yet been established, with legislation still under study regarding legal basis, funding mechanisms, and inter-ministerial coordination. The Department of Environment is drafting Phase 2 amendments to the Environmental Quality Act 1974, incorporating a blacklisting mechanism targeting repeat offenders.