LG Electronics offers battery discounts for returned cordless vacuum batteries

LG Electronics announced Friday it is launching its second cordless vacuum battery collection campaign of the year, called "Battery Turn."

The Battery Turn campaign runs through Nov. 30 and is conducted jointly with the Korea Environment Corporation and E-Circulation Governance, with support from the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy.

Customers can drop off used cordless vacuum batteries — regardless of manufacturer — at any LG Electronics service center nationwide. Those unable to visit a service center in person can participate remotely through the company's online brand shop. In exchange for returning a used battery, customers receive a discount on purchases of LG Cord Zero A9, A9S or A7 batteries.

LG Electronics collects the used batteries, disassembles them and recovers rare metals including nickel, lithium, cobalt and manganese. A single used LG Cord Zero A9S battery, which weighs about 450 grams, yields 31.91 grams of nickel, 6.06 grams of lithium, 4.21 grams of cobalt and 2.04 grams of manganese. Recycling 1,500 used batteries recovers enough lithium to produce the battery pack for one mid-size electric vehicle.

LG Electronics launched the Battery Turn campaign in 2022. Through the first half of this year, the company had collected a cumulative total of about 156 tons — more than 340,000 batteries. Rare metals recovered from those batteries exceeded 13 tons, and more than 200,000 customers have participated in the campaign to date.

The first campaign of this year drew about 30,000 participants, who returned roughly 29 tons, or 64,000 batteries. That collection volume was about 10 tons higher than the same period last year.

LG Electronics returns proceeds from the sale of recovered rare metals to local communities. On Thursday, the company used funds raised through the Battery Turn campaign to donate 15 LG Cord Zero AI Objet Collection A9 cordless vacuums to Pine Tree Home, a child welfare facility.

Earlier, LG Electronics used campaign proceeds to donate cordless vacuums to residential facilities for people with intellectual disabilities, single-mother welfare centers and community welfare centers providing free meals to vulnerable groups, continuing its tradition of giving back to local communities.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics runs a range of used home appliance collection programs in addition to Battery Turn. Last year, the company recovered 640,000 tons of electronic waste across 91 locations in 56 countries. Cumulative collection since 2006 has reached 5.65 million tons.

"We will contribute to building a sustainable future by expanding resource-recycling activities that customers can easily join," said Son Chang-woo, head of LG Electronics' Living Solution Business Division.