The National Institute of Environmental Research will publish a technical manual on electric vehicle waste batteries on June 9. This document is organized to support international standard discussions and can be utilized by industries and policy agencies.
It was prepared to respond to the international standard being discussed by the Waste Management Technical Committee (ISO/TC297) under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The National Institute of Environmental Research is an organization under the Ministry of Environment.
The manual contains comprehensive information on the collection, storage, and transportation process of electric vehicle waste batteries. It also includes battery-related regulations and market trends from countries such as South Korea, the United States, the European Union, and China. Additionally, it covers the structure of the secondary battery industry, the import-export status of black mass, and supply chain information for key materials.
Electric vehicle waste batteries refer to secondary batteries that have expired or are damaged. They pose risks of fire and explosion and contain valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which makes them highly recyclable.
In response to the rapidly growing accumulation of waste batteries due to the increased adoption of electric vehicles, the National Institute of Environmental Research has been addressing the international standards for the collection and transportation of electric vehicle waste batteries under discussion since the end of last year (2024) at ISO/TC297. This effort aims to incorporate South Korea’s waste management policies and industry opinions.
The manual can be used not only for policy institutions’ international standard responses but also as practical reference material in industrial fields. The National Institute of Environmental Research also plans to strengthen its related response capabilities in the future.
The manual can be downloaded in PDF format from the Environmental Information Library website of the National Institute of Environmental Research.
Jeon Tae-wan, head of the Environmental Resources Research Division, stated, “Given that international standards affect domestic management policies and industry, we hope that this manual will serve as a foundational response tool.”
Lee Jong-cheon, head of the Climate and Carbon Research Division, added, “We will support the incorporation of our country’s waste battery management policies and industry opinions into international standards.”