The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) and the National Institute of Environmental Research (Director Keum Han-seung) announced that they will hold a ‘Battery Recycling Expert Forum’ on June 23 at the main conference room of Seoul Station (located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul).

This forum has been organized to bring together experts from the battery recycling and manufacturing industries, automobile manufacturers, academia, and public institutions to discuss policies, technologies, and institutional issues related to battery recycling.

The forum will begin with a presentation on key measures to promote battery recycling, followed by the introduction of recent policy and research achievements, including a study on the recycling value assessment of lithium iron phosphate (LFP)* batteries and trends in domestic and international certification systems for recycled materials. 

* These batteries use lithium (Li) and iron phosphate (FePO4) as the main materials for the cathode. They are inexpensive but have low recoverable metal value when recycled.

First, the Ministry of Environment’s Secondary Battery Recycling Support Group will introduce the key contents of the Battery Recycling Promotion Plan* announced on May 14 of this year, and will present a concrete implementation roadmap for carrying out the detailed tasks.

*  The Battery Recycling Promotion Plan, announced at the Economic Ministers’ Meeting on May 14, 2025, consists of the following components: Creating a recycling market; Stabilizing the supply of recyclable resources; Promoting technological innovation and strengthening competitiveness; and Establishing a full-cycle management system.

The National Institute of Environmental Research will share the current progress of a study evaluating the economic feasibility of recycling LFP batteries, which have seen a recent increase in usage but are difficult to recycle. Based on the results of this evaluation, the Ministry of Environment plans to establish institutional management measures for LFP batteries in the future.

Next, the Korea Environment Institute will present the research direction for developing a certification methodology for the production of recycled battery materials, aimed at ensuring quality control of recycled materials and responding to international environmental regulations.

* Metals such as nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate extracted from waste batteries and manufacturing process scrap are certified as recycled materials. 

Based on the research results for developing the certification methodology for the production of recycled battery materials, the Ministry of Environment will establish detailed implementation plans for the certification system and plans to fully implement it starting in 2027 through a pilot program next year.  

In the following panel discussion, in-depth discussions will take place among experts from the government, industry, and academia on the topic of “Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Domestic Battery Recycling Ecosystem.” Various policy alternatives are expected to be proposed to address current issues faced by the recycling industry, such as creating demand for recycled battery products and supporting raw material procurement.

Kim Go-eung, Director General of the Resources Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “Battery recycling should be approached not merely as waste management but as a strategy for securing key future resources.” He added, “I hope this forum serves as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between industry, academia, and the government, and to lay the foundation for a sustainable circular economy.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com