<2025> Recycling/Reuse Technology Trends and Market Outlook (Through 2040)
Battery recycling and reuse have become essential rather than optional. As the automotive industry undergoes a major transition toward electrification driven by the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, the recycling market is structurally set for long-term expansion.
Recently, China’s relaxation of black mass import regulations has significantly reshaped global resource flows and market balance. At the same time, a range of issues affecting the overall industry structure continue to emerge, including EU export restrictions, rising transportation costs for EOL batteries and black mass, and ongoing discussions on the separation of raw material pricing systems.
In the short term, the industry is facing pressure from declining metal prices, slowing EV sales, and imbalances between pre-treatment and post-treatment capacities. However, in the mid-to-long term, the growing supply of end-of-life (EOL) batteries and black mass is expected to support a gradual transition toward a more stable growth trajectory.
From a technology development perspective, various innovative solutions—such as low-temperature thermal treatment, early-stage lithium extraction processes, precursor-based recovery technologies, and impurity removal treatments—are actively being researched. In particular, the commercialization of direct recycling technologies is expected to significantly improve recycling efficiency while reducing costs, thereby strengthening industry competitiveness.
Economic viability remains highly sensitive to fluctuations in metal prices, making the establishment of a stable revenue structure a key challenge for market participants.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction (Overview of EV Batteries)
2. The Necessity of EV Battery Recycling
3. Recycling/Reuse Market Outlook
4. EOL Battery Management Regulations
5. Overview of Battery Recycling Processes
6. Introduction to Wet Recycling Processes
7. Economic Assessment of Recycling/Reuse Processes
8. Major Recycling/Reuse Players
8.1 Korean Recycling/Reuse Players
Seongil Hitech, Ecopro CnG, POSCO HY Clean Metal, GS Energy Materials, SaeBitChem, GoodbyeCar
8.2 Global Recycling/Reuse Players