Lithium-ion battery ternary cathode materials have significant advantages such as high cycling stability, high energy density and high charging rate, and are widely used in new energy vehicles, smartphones and other fields. Due to the abundance of valuable metals, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese,the recycling of waste ternary cathode materials has attracted more attention. This work comprehensively reviewed the cascading utilization of retired lithium-ion batteries, pretreatment of waste lithium-ion batteries, recycling of valuable metal elements, and preparation of ternary cathode materials from the perspective of the full lifecycle cycle of lithium-ion battery cathode materials.Emphasis was placed on the two recycling methods for valuable metal elements, namely pyrometallurgical recovery and wet recovery. The direct repair of ternary cathode materials for waste lithium-ion batteries was analyzed, and two methods for preparation of ternary cathode materials,stepwise preparation and one-step preparation, were discussed. Finally, the development direction and key issues to be focused on in the field of recycling of ternary cathode materials for waste lithium-ion batteries were discussed.