<p>The demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) has steadily increased in parallel with their usage in modern technologies such as electronics and telecommunications. This surge in demand, coupled with potential supply challenges, underscores the criticality of these elements for modern society. This paper gives an overview of various recycling approaches, with a focus on high-temperature recovery of REEs from magnet waste. Key factors contributing to low recycling rates and the different streams of REE waste are discussed, along with the importance of pre-recovery processing and physical separation techniques for concentrating REEs. A comparative analysis of four primary recycling methods—hydrometallurgical, electrochemical, biometallurgical, and pyrometallurgical—evaluates their advantages, limitations, and suitability for recovering REEs from magnet waste. High-temperature recovery processes such as oxidation–reduction, flux extraction, collector slag systems, chlorination, liquid metal extraction, and molten salt electrolysis are examined in detail. Opportunities for future research are outlined to drive advancements in high-temperature recycling and support the sustainable recovery of REEs.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>