Toyota has announced a new circular economy plant in Walbrzych, Poland, which is designed to process around 20,000 end-of-life vehicles per year, recovering components and secondary raw materials—including traction batteries—for reuse and recycling.

The new facility will cover an area of ​​25,000 square meters, reports Electrive.com.

“Items such as batteries and wheels will be assessed for refurbishing, repurposing, or recycling,” Toyota said. and adds that the goal is to maximize environmental benefits through precise and systematic processing of vehicles at the end of their life cycle.

The company will inspect and remove components from end-of-life vehicles and return the appropriate parts for reuse. Where recovery is not possible, materials will be recycled to separate copper, steel, aluminum and plastic. According to the manufacturer, these secondary raw materials will be used “in the production of new vehicles,” thereby strengthening the closed circular flow of materials.

The site represents Toyota’s second circular economy plant in Europe, following the facility due to open in Burnaston in 2025. The new facility will be located within Toyota’s existing production complex in Walbrzych, where the company already produces key components for hybrid and conventional powertrains.

“We chose Poland because of the strong market potential for the collection of end-of-life vehicles, the development of upstream and downstream recycling, as well as the presence of our already established production infrastructure,” said Toyota Motor Europe representative Leon van der Merwe, adding that in the coming years, they plan to introduce similar investments in other European markets.

• Also See: A Material Factory For New Batteries With Solid Electrolyte Is Being Constructed By Toyota’s Partner