Korean giant Samsung has signed to have UPS batteries recycled by SamSegi Recycling Technology, a secondary battery recycling subsidiary of KPS Corporation.

SamSegi, also known as Segi Retech, will collect, transport, and dispose of lead acid batteries used in uninterruptible power supplies at seven Korean Samsung sites.

The deal covers data centers in the Giheung district of Yongin and Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province.

SamSegi will handle the lead-acid batteries currently in use at the Samsung facilities, as well as the lithium-ion batteries which Samsung expects to adopt over the coming years, according to the Korea Economic Daily.

"Most UPS batteries are still of the lead-acid type but lithium-ion ones have rapidly spread over the last two years,” Segi Retech CEO Kim Min-hong said. "Since we're preparing to enter the market for recycling discarded lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, this is an opportunity to expand our business territory to the industrial battery market."

Lead acid batteries are recyclable, and still cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, which are expected to take over because of their improved performance. By contrast, lithium-ion batteries were initially harder to recycle, but this has been improving.