Advancing Circular Economy for Managing Electric Vehicles Battery Waste in Developing Countries by Harnessing Private Sector Initiatives and SMEs Education

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) adoption in the Asia-Pacific presents new and critical sustainability challenges, particularly the management of end-of-life battery waste amid insufficient infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. With annual end-of-life battery volumes projected to surge across developing countries, prevalent informal recycling practices risk significant environmental and health hazards. The circular economy approaches, including reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, offer viable solutions for mitigation but still require improved policies, cross-sectoral collaboration, financial support, and targeted education for Small-and-Medium-Enterprises (SMEs). This paper shows targeted and strategic interventions are necessary to advance responsible EVs battery safe disposal, build resilient infrastructure, and foster sustainable urban mobility and long-term economic sustainability across the developing countries.