On the morning of the 16th, LG Uplus held the launch ceremony for the ‘Battery Recycle One Team’ in Yongsan, Seoul, a consortium aimed at spearheading the recycling of used batteries. The ceremony was attended by Lee Cheol-hoon, Head of LG Uplus Communication Center, Lim Hyun-yeol, President of the Korea Battery Recycling Association and Representative of ER Co., Song Yong-nam, Vice Dean of the College of Engineering at Korea University, Jo Tae-yong, Head of the Rural Community Cooperation Debt Fund at the Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperation, Kim Yong-dae, Executive Director of the Korea Youth Foundation, and Hwang Hyun-sung, CEO of Energizer Korea.
The Battery Recycle One Team is a consortium consisting of private companies and institutions that aim to contribute to eco-friendly ESG management through resource recycling, creating a sustainable society. The goal is to improve the collection rate of used batteries, which are often overlooked in resource circulation, and to create a virtuous cycle by recycling them into new batteries.
Used batteries contain harmful heavy metals such as manganese, zinc, nickel, and cadmium, which can contribute to soil and water protection and carbon reduction when sorted from regular waste, while also allowing for the recovery of rare minerals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
In line with its focus on eco-friendly ESG management, LG Uplus has joined the consortium to lead the promotion of resource recycling. The company plans to conduct a collection campaign for used batteries at its nationwide offices and stores, functioning as local collection hubs. Previously, from January to March, LG Uplus collected 16,346 general batteries and 3,600 portable auxiliary batteries from 30 stores and offices across the country, which were delivered to battery recycling companies.
Participating companies and institutions in the Battery Recycle One Team include LG Uplus as the leading organization, along with Energizer, ER Co., Korea Battery Recycling Association, Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperation, Korea Youth Foundation, and Korea University. The Battery Recycle One Team plans to engage in nationwide campaigns for used battery collection, educational and promotional activities, support initiatives for socially vulnerable groups linked to collection activities, and analyze the economic and social effects of improved recycling processes.
The Korea Battery Recycling Association will host battery exchange events for the public and operate display and participation booths on World Environment Day (June) and Resource Circulation Day (September). The battery recycling company ER plans to set up tours of the resource recycling process.
The Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperation aims to promote the collection of drone batteries and buoy batteries abandoned in rural areas by distributing promotional materials to local governments to ensure smooth collection processes. The Korea Youth Foundation intends to encourage more children and teenagers to participate in the campaign. Korea University plans to conduct community-linked campaigns and a video contest for university students, while also encouraging participation from other universities.
Going forward, LG Uplus and the Battery Recycle One Team plan to expand the number of participating institutions and companies, and conduct nationwide resource recycling campaigns involving various experiential activities.
Lee Cheol-hoon, Head of LG Uplus Communication Center (Executive Director), stated, “Through the used battery collection campaign that LG Uplus started earlier this year, we have raised awareness of battery recycling among employees and customers,” adding, “We will continue to work towards creating a virtuous cycle structure for increased recycling of resources.”
Lim Hyun-yeol, President of the Korea Battery Recycling Association and Representative of ER, remarked, “I am grateful for the collaboration among companies, institutions, and the education sector, all coming together as one team for the purpose of used battery recycling,” and assured that he would do his best to support the various projects and events of related organizations to foster a sustainable resource circulation society.
Jo Tae-yong, Head of the Rural Community Cooperation Debt Fund, noted, “In rural areas, used batteries are frequently not disposed of properly and are left unattended,” and emphasized that with the establishment of this one team, they will strengthen battery collection promotion activities and actively participate in preventing environmental pollution, thus realizing rural ESG.
Kim Yong-dae, Executive Director of the Korea Youth Foundation, stated, “It is very meaningful for the youth, who will become the leaders of Korea in the future, to be the main actors addressing environmental issues,” and pledged that the foundation would actively mobilize efforts to encourage more youth participation in this initiative.
Contact: Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr