End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Day — 8/14, from "8(ha)-1(i)-4(sha)" (haisha, meaning "scrapped car")

What Is End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Day?

August 14th is "End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Day," based on the wordplay "8 (ha) - 1 (i) - 4 (sha)," which reads as "haisha" (meaning "scrapped car"). It was established by NAPROARTH Co., Ltd., which runs plants in places such as Date, Fukushima, and Takahata, Yamagata, handling the proper processing of end-of-life vehicles and the sale of auto parts, and is registered with the Japan Anniversary Association.

Origins and Background of the Day

The day aims to spread the company's philosophy of turning waste into resources by recycling scrapped cars and creating value by buying them -- summed up in its motto, roughly "from wasteful to worthwhile." Japan's Automobile Recycling Act came into full effect in 2005 (Heisei 17), legally establishing requirements for the recycling and proper disposal of end-of-life vehicles. Cars contain a wide variety of materials and parts — metals like steel and aluminum, glass, plastics, airbags, fluorocarbons, and more — and properly separating and recovering these materials helps make effective use of resources while reducing environmental impact.

• Origin: A wordplay on "8 (ha) - 1 (i) - 4 (sha)" = "haisha" (scrapped car)
• Established by: NAPROARTH Co., Ltd. (which also established "NAPROARTH Day" on July 26)
• Related system: The Automobile Recycling Act (in full effect since 2005)
• Purpose: Promoting proper recycling of end-of-life vehicles

Fun Facts About Automobile Recycling

• Recycling rate: More than 90% of an end-of-life vehicle's weight is said to be recovered and reused as resources.
• Recycling fees: Buyers typically pay a "recycling fee" in advance, for example when purchasing a new car.
• Airbag disposal: Since unused airbags contain explosive material, they're handled and disposed of using specialized techniques.

Tips for Enjoying End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Day

When getting rid of a car, it's worth checking that proper procedures under the Automobile Recycling Act are being followed. Learning about a car's "final journey" — something we rarely think about — is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of resource circulation.