The South Korean government is broadening the scope of materials recognized for recycling from used batteries and enhancing safety standards for their transport and storage. The Future Waste Resources collection centers, which primarily handled used electric vehicle batteries and solar panel waste, will now also manage components from wind turbines, energy storage systems (ESS), and eco-friendly vehicles.
On August 20, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that it will publicly notify amendments to the Waste Management Act and the Resource Circulation Act for electric and electronic products and automobiles from August 21 to October 1.
The proposed amendments expand the recycling recognition criteria for materials recovered from used batteries from a nickel content of 10% to a combined nickel and cobalt content of 13%. This adjustment allows for the recycling of lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) batteries, which typically have lower nickel content.
The intended use of the recovered materials will be clearly defined for domestic product manufacturing, promoting the production of recycled materials in South Korea. A new classification code for 'used secondary batteries for power storage and backup power' will be established to separately track the volume of used batteries from ESS and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The types of recycling will also include remanufacturing and reuse.
Standards for the transport and storage of used batteries will be strengthened. The current standards applied to used electric vehicle batteries will be extended to include those from hybrid vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and batteries from construction and agricultural machinery, as well as electric storage facilities. High-risk used batteries that are damaged or deformed will need to be transported in sealed containers with protective equipment, ensuring insulation and cushioning to reduce the risk of hazardous material leaks, fires, and explosions.
The range of items handled by the seven Future Waste Resources collection centers across the country will also be expanded. They will now be able to collect, store, and sell components such as drive motors and fuel cells from electric, hybrid, and hydrogen vehicles, as well as wind turbine nacelles and blades, and ESS. These facilities include critical minerals such as rare earth permanent magnets and platinum, and establishing a recovery system is expected to reduce import dependency and contribute to supply chain stability.
The scope of large discarded appliances that manufacturers and importers must collect free of charge during new product installations has also been clarified. Eleven items, including refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, televisions, clothes dryers, and garment care devices, will be included.
The implementation rules for the Resource Circulation Act for electronic products will take effect on December 10, following public consultation and review by the Ministry of Legislation. The amendments to the Waste Management Act are expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
Kim Go-eung, director of the Resource Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Climate, stated, "Future waste resources are waste that must be managed safely while being core resources that support our industry’s supply chain. We will spare no effort in improving systems and providing support to promote domestic recycling."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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