Upcycling for Good: Samsung and Sustainable Textile Brand Kvadrat’s Eco-Friendly Accessory Line

As a company that looks to the future, Samsung innovates to help change people’s lives for the better. Not only does this mean creating technologies and devices that allow users to better navigate their daily lives, but it also takes the form of allowing consumers to feel confident that, with a Samsung product, they can make an environmentally-friendly choice.

Thanks to a partnership with premium Danish textile brand Kvadrat, the latest Samsung accessories for the Galaxy S20+ 5G are no exception. 

Accessories for Good

When developing accessories for the Galaxy S20 Series 5G and other of the company’s latest products, Samsung made the decision to partner with Kvadrat, a company rooted in Scandinavian design tradition that has acquired the European Union’s Ecolabel certification – a certification known for its strict judgement criteria. 

Following the sustainable practice of upcycling, the special Galaxy S20+ 5G phone case is made up of re-purposed 500ml plastic bottles that are melted and reformulated into textile yarns. Upcycling, also known as ‘creative reuse’, is the process of transforming end-of-life products into new materials that not only are of better quality than the original, but also benefit the environment. In the case of Kvadrat’s yarn-making process, one plastic bottle can be repurposed to produce two Galaxy S20+ 5G phone cases.

These recycled yarns help to reduce the number of plastic bottles found in landfills and are produced in a way that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during manufacturing as compared with traditional material processes. The plastic bottle-sourced yarn is formed in an eco-friendly process that preserves non-renewable energy resources. Samsung is the first company among major brands in the mobile industry to have produced a phone case for its flagship device using recycled materials.

The Galaxy S20+ 5G phone case made with textiles by Kvadrat follows the sustainable practice of upcycling by transforming end-of-life plastic bottles into recycled polyester yarns, from which cases can then be fashioned. 

These recycled yarns are eco-friendly because they reduce the amount of PET bottles in landfills. In Canada, it is estimated that we consume two billion water bottles per year, which is 5.3 million a day. Approximately 22 million pounds of that plastic makes its way into the Great Lakes every year^[1]. Each recycled 500ml plastic bottle can create two phone cases, allowing users the comfort that with the purchase of this special phone case, they are helping contribute to the reduction of plastic pollution.

The recycled yarns are also manufactured in a way that reduces carbon dioxide emissions as compared to traditional processes. Compared to conventional polyester production methods, Kvadrat’s recycled yarns are formed in a process that consumes less energy and preserves precious oil resources. 

Galaxy S20+ 5G case made with Kvadrat textiles product images

Last year, Samsung announced a partnership with the UN Development Programme to support the Sustainable Development Goals (also known as the Global Goals) which address some of the biggest challenges faced around the world, including the fight against environmental degradation. In line with this, a portion of revenue from sales of the Samsung Global Goals edition of the Galaxy S20+ 5G case made with Kvadrat textiles will be donated to UNDP in support of the 17 Global Goals^[2].

Samsung Global Goals edition Galaxy S20+ 5G case made with Kvadrat textiles product images

As well as purchasing the Samsung Global Goals edition case, Galaxy users can also download the Samsung Global Goals app in order to discover more ways to get involved with the Samsung Global Goals initiative. With the app, users can learn more about each of the Global Goals and the issues they seek to tackle with detailed information, facts and figures on each Goal available. The app also helps raise money for the Global Goals, firstly by allowing users to donate directly to the Global Goals on the UNDP website and secondly by collecting ad revenue for the UNDP whenever users interact with ads on the app.

Samsung is looking to not only promote sustainable product cycles but also to provide users with more options than ever when looking to make eco-friendly choices for the future.

Kvadrat Eco-Friendly Galaxy S20+ 5G phone cases will be available in Red, Green and Gray in select markets including Canada on March 13, 2020 for $49.99.  For more information, please visit samsung.ca.

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[1]  https://www.readersdigest.ca/culture/niagara-now-plastic-bottles/

[2] The Samsung Global Goals edition of the Galaxy S20+ 5G phone case made with Kvadrat textiles will be available in select markets only.