Method of recovering rare

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED : To provide a method for recovering rare earth elements from a treatment target including at least rare earth elements and iron group elements which can be practically implemented as a simple low-cost recycling system.SOLUTION : The provided recovery method comprises at least steps of oxidizing a treatment target, heat-treating (1), following transition to a treatment environment accompanied by the presence of carbon, the target at a temperature of 1300°C or above, reacting the obtained heat-treated target with water, and recovering a powder including rare earth elements. It is desirable for the heat treatment, in the presence of carbon, of the oxidized treatment target to be performed by using a carbon melting pot as a treatment vessel-cum-carbon supply source, for the treatment target to be at least partially composed of granular or powdery particles having diameters of 500 μm or less, and for the reaction of the heat-treated target with water to be induced by leaving the heat-treated target standing in the air 2 so as to trigger the reaction of the heat-treated target with water in the air. The treatment target is an R-Fe-B permanent magnet.