For its automobiles, Honda has been promoting conventional 3R (reduce/reuse/recycle) activities as well as ensuring proper processing when disposing of end-of-life products.

The Company will engage in new businesses and services such as horizontal recycling^*1, repurposing^*2, and refurbishing^*3 as part of its shift to a recycling-oriented business. This section describes the resource circulation efforts related to new and used car sales.

1. Horizontal recycling: Recycling used products back into resources and using them again for the same purpose.
2. Repurposing: Utilizing one’s own products (e.g., primary use) for various secondary purposes.
3. Refurbishing: Adding new value to used vehicles by improving performance and service through the latest updates.

Initiatives for Battery Lifetime Management Commercialization(Business Innovation)

For batteries to be installed in light EVs scheduled for launch in 2024, Honda is promoting an initiative to maximize battery value by upgrading battery monitoring functions and conducting lifetime management through conversion from on-board use to stationary use.

The battery monitoring function, which determines the state of deterioration of components and other factors, enables efficient use of resources and reduces the economic burden on automobile users.

Link to the news release

Expanded Use of Recycled Materials from Automobile Bumpers for Parts of New Vehicles (Circular Design)

For the “N-VAN e:” light EV scheduled for release in 2024, Honda collected and crushed discarded bumpers from Honda vehicles, revitalized them as sustainable materials, and reused them as accessories for vehicle exteriors and other parts.

For the front grille parts, a technology was applied to randomly mix the bumper paint of past Honda models, leaving a rough finish, so that the pattern is unique and attractive.

Honda | Preliminary public showing of the “N-VAN e:” scheduled for release in the spring of 2024 on the website (global.honda) (Japanese only)

Use of Sustainable Materials for Floor Carpet Mats (Circular Design, Circular Value Chain)

Starting in April 2024, Honda has adopted a sustainable material, recycled PET material, for the floor carpet mats, a Honda genuine accessory for the N-VAN light vehicle. It is significantly lighter than conventional mats.

The use of sustainable materials is an effort to consider recyclability after use and to contribute to a recycling-oriented society in the future. Going forward, the Company will gradually expand the number of vehicle models to which sustainable materials can be applied.

Launch of Services Related to Refurbishing Used Cars (Business Innovation)

In September 2023, Honda’s Japanese used car business launched “Imakore+ (Plus),” a program to install new Honda genuine accessories to used cars.

In January 2024, Honda launched a new upgrade service for the ACCORD model in its North American used car business, a dealer-installed service that enables the wireless functionality of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Such refurbishing programs for recovering and improving product value, adding new product value, and providing utilization services will lead customers to use up the products to the end, and increase opportunities to collect end-of-life vehicle products, thereby making more efficient use of resources.

For motorcycles, Honda is working to reduce the volume of materials used through weight reduction, the application of recycled materials, and structural design that takes recyclability into consideration from the perspective of reducing environmental impact.

This section describes new initiatives that include the following: application of recycled materials such as iron and aluminum, which can reduce the impact on the land when mining and the CO₂ emissions generated during the material production process, as well as bio-derived materials and recycled resin materials, which can lead to reduction of fossil resource extraction.

Application of Bioengineering Plastics to Products (Circular Design)casd

As a new initiative in the resin field, Honda has adopted DURABIOTM^*1, an environmentally friendly bio-based engineering plastic, for the first time in the world^*2 for the transparent windscreen of the CRF1100L Africa Twin released in March 2024.

The Company plans to expand the application of this plastic to other models and parts in the future.

1. DURABIOTM is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.
2. According to Honda research (as of October 2023)

Newly launched CRF1100L Africa Twin series, a large-size adventure model, with partially revised specifications and exterior appearance (Japanese only)

Application of Recycled Materials from Automobile Bumpers to Motorcycles（Circular Design、Circular Value Chain）

So far, recycled materials made from waste bumpers of Honda vehicles collected from dealers have been used for under covers of automobiles and other products.

By optimizing the specifications, Honda will apply recycled bumper material, which has been difficult to apply to motorcycles, to the large models manufactured at the Kumamoto Factory, which are scheduled to go on sale in 2024.

This initiative will take advantage of the diversity of products sold and the parts collection scheme that characterizes Honda.

Application of Recycled Aluminum (Circular Design)

Honda have applied small-diameter wheels, which are made from commercial scraps by the high-pressure die casting (HPDC) method, to small models such as scooters and Cubs in Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, and China.

The Company will apply large-diameter wheels, which have been difficult to apply due to technical challenges and other reasons, to the large models manufactured at the Kumamoto Factory, which are scheduled to go on sale in 2024.

With the application to the large models, wheels made of recycled materials will be applied to a wide range of products from small to large models.