The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) will sign an agreement to promote a pilot project for certifying recycled materials from electric vehicle batteries with five electric vehicle battery recycling companies on March 26 at the LW Convention Center (located in Jung-gu, Seoul).

* SungEel HiTech, EcoPro CnG, POSCO-HY CLEAN METAL, SK ecoplant, Energy Materials

Attending the ceremony are Minister Han Wha-jin; Yi Kang-myung, CEO of SungEel HiTech; Park Seok-hoe, CEO of EcoPro CnG; Lim Ji-woo, CEO of POSCO-HY CLEAN METAL; Park Kyoung-il, CEO of SK ecoplant; Park Yong-han, Executive Director of Energy Materials; and Jung Jae-woong, Director of the Korea Environment Corporation (KECO).

Major developed countries such as countries in the European Union (EU) are trending towards mandating the use of recycled materials in product manufacturing to achieve carbon neutrality. Specifically, recycling used batteries to produce recycled materials can provide stable supplies of key minerals, which are mostly imported, and contribute to achieving a circular economy.

The Ministry plans to establish and operate a task force composed of recycling industries, experts, etc., through the pilot project for certification of recycled materials from used batteries. This task force will work to concretize certification methods for recycled materials and develop a certification system and related regulations based on the results of the pilot project, with the aim of improving relevant systems. 

Participating companies actively participate in the pilot project for the production and certification of recycled materials. The KECO verifies the traceability and recycling process of recycled materials using the waste management system ‘Allbaro System.’ 

The Allbaro System is a comprehensive management system designed to transparently manage the entire process from waste generation to transportation and final disposal in real-time using the internet and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Recycling companies are already inputting information on recycled materials from used batteries into the Allbaro System. By utilizing the System, companies can minimize the burden of certification while ensuring the credibility of certification.

Based on the results of the pilot project, once the certification system for recycled materials is established, it is expected to contribute to the realization of a circular economy. Additionally, it will provide a foundation for strengthening the safety of the rare metal supply chain, thereby alleviating the burden on domestic recycling companies and battery manufacturers. 

Minister Han Wha-jin stated, “Through this agreement, the electric vehicle battery recycling industry and the government will collaborate to create a model case of circular utilization of used batteries. By expanding the use of recycled materials not only in batteries but also in other sectors such as electrical and electronic products, we aim to establish a circular economy that permeates throughout society.”

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