Recovery rates have increased every year, and today more than 80% of ELVs are recycled and reused. The remaining 20% is in the form of ASR, and is usually landfilled. Amid concern about illegal dumping and inappropriate treatment of ASR increases due to limited capacity at landfill sites, there is a need for automakers to take charge of automobile recycling for appropriate treatment.

Nissan partially modified a waste incinerator at the Oppama Plant and began energy recovery from automobile shredder residue (ASR) in the autumn of 2003. Full-scale operation of 400 t/month was started in January 2005.
Waste from Nissan plants and ASR from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are burned together in the incinerator. Thermal energy generated during incineration is converted into steam that is effectively used for humidification and other purposes in the pre-painting processes at the plant. Since ASR generates large quantities of heat, controlling the temperature during incineration has been difficult. Another problem was that unburned substances tended to stick to the inner walls of the incinerator and the evaporation pipes of the boiler. These problems have been resolved through optimum temperature control.