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Updated on March 28, 2023, to provide more detailed information: Recycled PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), sourced from 10% of discarded PET bottles, has been used in the front case of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S23 series raises the bar for both quality and aesthetics with less environmental impact than previous generations. To achieve this, we incorporated recycled materials in more device components than in any other previous Galaxy smartphone and designed the packaging box using 100% recycled paper. The presence of recycled materials in the Galaxy S23 series has also been increased, rising from six internal components made from eco-conscious materials in the Galaxy S22 Ultra to 12 internal and external components incorporating recycled materials in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

We also used a wider variety of recycled materials, including pre-consumer recycled aluminum and glass, for use in Galaxy devices. By continuing to increase recycled materials in Galaxy devices, this helps us reduce our impact on the environment. Specifically, the use of recycled ocean-bound plastics in the Galaxy S23 series could prevent more than 15 tons of discarded fishing nets from entering the world’s oceans by the end of 2023, helping to reduce ocean pollution.

The Galaxy S23 series is built to last with durability and repairability, making it dependable for years to come. It’s the first device to feature Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass Victus^® 2, which offers durability for long-term use and contains an average of 22 percent pre-consumer recycled content. The Galaxy S23 series also provides four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates, so users are protected for longer.

Check out the infographic below to see how innovation and sustainability can work together seamlessly, exemplified by the Galaxy S23 series.

Every year, judged by a panel of sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts, the SEAL Awards recognizes the most impactful sustainability initiatives and top companies that drive environmental progress. Samsung is a recipient of the SEAL Sustainable Product Award, which honors inspiring purpose-built products that move and change the world in a better way.

“We are honored to receive the 2022 SEAL Sustainable Product Award for our efforts to advance more circular product designs and by doing more with less when it comes to ocean plastic waste,” said Sungsun Park, EVP and Head of Mechanical R&D Team of MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is committed to continuing our sustainability journey and unleashing the company’s scale, innovation and spirit of open collaboration to deliver even more tangible climate actions.”

“A staggering 640,000 tons of fishing equipment are abandoned in the ocean each year, trapping and entangling marine life and damaging coral reefs. We applaud Samsung for transforming the Galaxy smartphone series to combat this environmental challenge,” said Matt Harney, Founder of SEAL Awards.

Discarded fishing nets are one of the most widespread and invasive ocean-bound plastics that pose a serious threat to marine life and our planet. Samsung first incorporated recycled discarded fishing nets with the Galaxy S22 series and since then, has used the material in designs throughout the Galaxy ecosystem, including in tablets, laptops and earbuds. By collaborating with like-minded organizations, Samsung created a new material from recycled ocean-bound plastic and upheld its high-quality standards.

This innovation is part of Samsung MX’s sustainability vision, Galaxy for the Planet, which outlines the company’s journey to taking tangible climate actions across global business operations and product lifecycles. Through Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung strives to develop and incorporate recycled materials in all new products, eliminate single-use plastics in mobile packaging, achieve zero standby power consumption for all smartphone chargers and divert all waste from landfill by 2025.

About the SEAL Awards
SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through our business sustainability awards & environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing our own environmental impact campaigns.

The SEAL Awards’ core pillars are:

• Business Sustainability Awards — honors the most sustainable companies in the world, like Adidas, AMD, Cisco and Tide
• Environmental Journalism Awards — representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New York Times and Grist
  
• Impact Campaigns — representative campaigns include “#UpTheCup” and “Eco Rewards”
• Environmental Research Grants
  

For more information, please visit https://sealawards.com/.

In 2020, Ally Mitchell, a longtime commercial diver, was asked to join a salvage operation for a cargo ship that had been wrecked near his home in Scotland. When he began work on the wreck, he was faced with thousands of tons of material, comprised mostly of shredded plastic. In that moment, he was inspired to take on a new mission: to make a difference in the world by tackling ocean-bound plastic.

For six months, Ally worked in his shed to bring to life a bold idea, one that sought to redefine a product that millions of people around the world use. With no manufacturing experience, he documented every step of the way on his Galaxy smartphone, and eventually, he had his breakthrough: recycled Ocean Plastic Pots.

Today, as his work continues to grow, Ally shares the positive impact of his pots through vibrant photos of the plastic he collects on beaches. Customers can see how the color of this plastic is the same as the color of the pots, which helps emphasize the circularity of the process and provides a tangible connection between the plastic Ally collects and the colorful pots he transforms it into. Ally also insists on sharing all the trial-and-error involved in his project by filming and uploading the different product development stages online, inspiring the next generation to continue the critical work of protecting the planet. It is also a reminder of just how creative this work can be.

Ally’s story of how he used Galaxy technology to rethink the problem of plastic and work towards a better future for everyone is both inventive and inspiring, and the story isn’t over yet.

To learn more about Ally’s mission to transform ocean-bound plastic, check out the Voices of Galaxy video below.

Outlining the performance of the company’s sustainability activities in 2021, this report includes major activities under its five sustainability pillars — Environment, Our Employees, Sustainable Supply Chain, Empowering Communities and Digital Responsibility. In particular, it highlights the following significant outcomes: stronger sustainability governance within the Board of Directors, expanded sustainability activities in the business units, joining the UN Global Compact and the placing of the Sustainability Council under the direct supervision of the CEO in 2022.

During 2021, Samsung Electronics put sustainability first while managing its business interests and significantly strengthened its sustainability governance to ensure this principle continues to be applied to all parts of its organization. To strengthen the Board of Directors’ supervision of sustainable activities in 2021, the Governance Committee, which had formerly been under the remit of the Board of Directors, was expanded to the Sustainability Committee in July 2021. The Sustainability Council, an executive-level consultative body, was placed under the leadership of the CEO earlier in 2022.

Samsung Electronics is making efforts to offer sustainable products to its customers. As part of these efforts, it has rolled out eco-conscious innovations including smartphones and monitors that incorporate materials recycled from discarded fishing nets and ocean-bound plastics and new, low-power semiconductors. It has also developed AI-based SmartThings Energy, a service that helps conserve energy by using a power saving mode that smart home appliances come equipped with, and SolarCell Remote Controls, which can be charged by sunlight or indoor lighting.

In addition, the company increased its renewable energy use by 31%, compared to 2020, by continuously expanding the use of renewable energy across its business premises worldwide. It also plans to achieve 100% renewable energy in its business premises in Latin America and Southwest Asia by 2025, a goal which has already been reached in the U.S., Europe and China.

The company is also expanding its cooperation with its stakeholders in relation to sustainability. In March 2022, the company joined the UN Global Compact, a specialized organization under the United Nations that was established in 2000 with the aim of promoting the sustainable growth of companies and society at large. It is also developing a washing machine that reduces the impact of microplastics in collaboration with Patagonia.

Finally, Samsung Electronics is carrying out numerous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities that focus on education with the aim of fostering the technological capabilities of future generations, Creative Lab (C-Lab) projects that contribute to the vitality and diversity of the Korean startup ecosystem and the Future Technology Cultivation Initiative, which supports creative and innovative Research & Development (R&D) in the areas of basic science, novel materials and information and communications technology (ICT). One example of particular note is a team led by professors at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) supported by the Future Technology Cultivation Initiative. The team’s achievements were published in Nature.

The full text of the 2022 Samsung Electronics Sustainability Report can be downloaded here.

For more stories about Samsung’s sustainability initiatives, visit here.

Samsung Electronics has rolled up its sleeves to tackle the marine pollution issue that is threatening the safety of humankind and the environment. The company’s eco-conscious efforts include recycling discarded ocean-bound plastic (OBP) located within 50km of the coast and using recycled materials to produce high-resolution monitors and Galaxy devices.

In addition, the eco-conscious water treatment technology that’s currently being used at the manufacturing sites of Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) Division significantly reduces water usage, reusing an amount of water equivalent to the total usage of two million people over half a year. Efforts like these underline Samsung’s commitment to conserving water.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about how Samsung is reducing marine pollution by transforming OBP into parts for monitors and mobile devices including smartphones, and by purifying wastewater at its semiconductor plants.

When I started my career at Samsung 25 years ago, I was a young engineer with a passion for technology and all it could do. Over the years, the capacity of mobile innovation has exceeded even my ambitious expectations. It has brought us conveniences and capabilities that make our lives better, but it has also given us the opportunity to be better. The ability to connect without proximity empowers us to break down barriers and work together to make progress. And with humanity facing some of its most complex challenges yet, we need to collaborate and innovate solutions more than ever before. That’s why I believe mobile technology has a vital role to play in helping us protect our planet.

Samsung has always challenged what’s possible with technology. And now, we are taking our next step towards putting sustainability at the center of our innovations. From eco-conscious materials to global partnerships, we are exploring every opportunity to help power the world with mobile technology that serves as a tool for positive change.

Innovation With Impact

We’ve been on a journey for years at Samsung, marrying sustainability and innovation by using recycled materials in our smartphones, wearables and accessories. In addition to our ongoing effort to use more eco-conscious materials including recycled PCM (post-consumer materials), the new Galaxy smartphones and tablets that were unveiled at our latest Unpacked used select components containing 20% recycled ocean-bound plastic from discarded fishing nets.

We focused our innovation efforts on a pervasive and especially hazardous type of plastic waste that is harming marine life and our natural ecosystems — discarded fishing nets. Every year, 640,000 tons of fishing nets are abandoned in and around our oceans. With help from like-minded partners, we found a way to repurpose them into a new, high-performance material that can be incorporated into critical components of the Galaxy S22 series. From now on, more and more Galaxy devices will play a small part in reducing plastic waste in our oceans.

I know we still have a long way to go. And at Mobile World Congress 2022, we will share our next wave of innovations that incorporate recycled ocean-bound plastics.

Using Technology as a Force for Good

At Samsung, we believe in making mobile technology that has positive environmental impact and putting the power of our Galaxy ecosystem into the hands of passionate change makers.

I’ve seen this firsthand with our growing Generation17 initiative, which Samsung leads in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme. Generation17 empowers young activists to take on pressing issues like climate change, education and more, so the world can make headway towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, by 2030. And with the recent addition of six new Young Leaders, the program now spans countries in Africa, Asia & The Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East and supports work across all 17 Global Goals.

That’s how mobile innovation fuels transformation. It amplifies simple actions and individual voices and brings them together to amount to big, global change.

We Need Collective Action

I am in awe of the impactful ways people are helping to change the world with Galaxy, and I promise our work does not end here. Samsung will continue developing innovative technology that bridges barriers, connects communities and addresses the climate crisis.

Samsung is ready to do more. We will take real action, hold ourselves accountable and share our journey — from our successes to our challenges and lessons learned. We will act with our industry peers, with developers, with the Galaxy community, with everyone, to strengthen technology as a force for good.

Over the last decade, Samsung Electronics has worked to reimagine product design and development to do more with less when it comes to the planet’s natural resources. Samsung’s latest step in this mission was the recent creation of a Galaxy technology that repurposes one of the world’s main sources of plastic waste — discarded fishing nets.

Discarded fishing nets pose serious threats to marine life and natural ecosystems, often ending up in people’s food and water sources. Due to long-term exposure to seawater and UV rays, fishing net material is fragile, making the nets difficult to upcycle directly. To find a solution, Samsung created a material that maintains the quality of its smartphones while preserving the health of the world’s oceans.

How It Works

Samsung believes collaboration is crucial to breaking barriers and creating innovations that bring both performance and sustainability. Therefore, Samsung joined forces with likeminded organizations to evolve new capabilities and address the complex challenge of ocean plastic pollution.

Samsung first partnered with Royal DSM, a leading science-based company to gather fishing nets from fishers who collect them along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean. After ensuring collection of the nets, the company separates, cuts, cleans and extrudes them to develop an eco-conscious material, which consists of a minimum of 80% recycled polyamide, or nylon.

Samsung then collaborates with Hanwha Compound, a polymer compounding company to optimize the material’s performance to match the company’s high-quality standards for smartphone technology. The material is transformed into high-performance polyamide resins that are constructed with a minimum of 20% repurposed fishing nets.

Now ready for use in mobile technology, Samsung incorporated these upcycled polyamide resins into key components of the Galaxy S22 series’ key bracket and inner cover of the S Pen.

What This Means for Samsung’s Future

This is only the beginning. Samsung is committed to evolving and expanding its use of ocean-bound plastics across all its products. By the end of 2022, Samsung’s use of recycled ocean-bound material could prevent more than 50 tons of discarded fishing nets¹ from entering the world’s oceans.

The Galaxy S22 series marks another step in Samsung’s sustainability journey under Galaxy for the Planet, which aims to unleash the company’s scale, innovation and spirit of open collaboration to deliver tangible climate actions across the MX Business and enable Galaxy users to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. This includes increasing its use of recycled materials, reducing standby power, eliminating single-use plastic from packaging and diverting all waste from landfills by 2025.

¹ Based on internal research

In a move that combines sustainability and innovation, Samsung Electronics developed a new material that gives ocean-bound plastics new life as they’re incorporated into various Galaxy devices. Made with repurposed ocean-bound discarded fishing nets, the use of this material marks another step in our Galaxy for the Planet journey that aims to minimize our environmental footprint and help foster more sustainable lifestyles for the Galaxy community.

Now and into the future, Samsung will incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics throughout our entire product lineup, starting with our new Galaxy devices that will be revealed on February 9^th at Unpacked. These devices will reflect our ongoing effort to eliminate single-use plastics and expand the use of other eco-conscious materials, such as recycled post-consumer material (PCM) and recycled paper. With this transformation, the future of Galaxy technology will bring leading product design and deliver better environmental impact.

The Hidden Threat of Discarded Fishing Nets

When you think of ‘ocean-bound plastic’,¹ you likely envision a water bottle or a grocery bag drifting on the ocean surface. What may not come to mind is a more hidden threat – the 640,000 tons of fishing nets that are abandoned and discarded every year.

Lingering in our oceans for centuries, these ‘ghost nets’ are responsible for trapping and entangling marine life, damaging coral reefs and natural habitats and even ending up in our food and water sources. These discarded fishing nets are disrupting the delicate balance of our environment at an alarming rate. Collecting and repurposing these nets are vital first steps in keeping our oceans clean as well as preserving the planet and our collective future.

Designing More Sustainable Products

Samsung has always pushed the boundaries of mobile technology, and the company is now looking to do the same with its sustainability practices. By giving new life to discarded fishing nets that would otherwise become dangerous waste, Samsung – through its creative solution – exemplifies how we can all do more with less to conserve our planet’s resources.

Samsung is committed to addressing ocean plastic pollution in a way that will positively impact not only the environment but also the lives of all Galaxy users. This new technological advancement marks a notable achievement in the company’s journey to deliver tangible environmental actions and protect the planet for generations to come.

Repurposing ocean-bound plastics is just the first step in our collective mission to address the climate crisis, and Samsung looks forward to using our scale, innovation and open collaboration to uncover additional solutions. Learn more about our vision for a sustainable future at Unpacked (February 9^th at 10 a.m. EST).

¹ Ocean-bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste of all sizes (micro-plastics, mezzo-plastics and macro-plastics) that are located within 50km of shores in communities or areas where waste management is inexistent or very inefficient.