Samsung Electronics announces today that it has made progress towards achieving the 2025 sustainability goals for the MX(Mobile eXperience) Business. Key initiatives include developing and incorporating recycled materials into products, designing more eco-conscious packaging and giving new life to older Samsung Galaxy devices to reduce e-waste.

Since announcing the Galaxy for the Planet vision at Unpacked in August 2021, Samsung has worked diligently to create new ways to recycle and repurpose resources that would otherwise become harmful waste, minimize its environmental footprint and inspire innovation that helps preserve the planet. Today, Samsung is sharing the progress so far on its sustainability journey.

“Samsung is taking consistent and impactful actions that help protect people and the planet. We marry sustainability and innovation in everything we do,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “I am proud of our progress to date. At the same time, it’s been a humbling experience that enables us to continue on our journey towards achieving our sustainability vision with even more conviction and rigor than before.”

Expanding the Use of Recycled Materials to the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4

Developing new, recycled materials is a key focus area for Galaxy for the Planet. The more Samsung recycles, the more resources it preserves. While repurposing materials into Galaxy devices presents many challenges, the benefits for the planet make it well worth the effort.

Samsung designed the new Galaxy Z series and Galaxy Buds2 Pro with repurposed fishing nets, or ghost nets, that could otherwise end up in the ocean.

First integrated into the Galaxy S22 series in February 2022, today there are eleven Galaxy devices that use repurposed fishing nets including Galaxy Book2 Pro series and Galaxy Tab S8 series as well. By repurposing abandoned fishing nets into a high-performance material for Galaxy technology, Samsung helps to minimize the effects of plastic pollution — 640,000 tons of fishing nets are abandoned and pollute the world’s oceans every year.¹

Repurposing discarded fishing nets is only one example of Samsung’s advancements in increasing its use of recycled materials in its products.

Samsung has incorporated eco-conscious materials including repurposed fishing nets, post-consumer materials (PCM) or bio-based resin into 90% of Galaxy devices launched in the past year.² For the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, more than 90% of the plastic components are made with partly* recycled materials.³

This process requires complex engineering and technical skills to ensure the overall quality, safety and reliability of all new materials for Samsung’s innovative technologies. Samsung plans to make further investments in research and development to source and transform other, new materials for use in Galaxy products and to increase the presence of recycled materials in each device. 

Changing the Way Galaxy Products Are Packaged

Samsung set a goal to eliminate all single-use plastics in mobile product packaging by 2025, and the company has already reduced a sizeable amount of single-use plastics in its current packaging for Galaxy smartphones including the new Galaxy foldables. Samsung will explore more ways to eliminate single-use plastics in packaging by assessing every aspect of its packaging designs, down to the smallest of details.

Starting with the launch of the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung now uses 100% recycled paper for flagship product packaging.

By doing so, Samsung will be able to save the equivalent of nearly 51,000 trees⁴ with the Galaxy S22 series and the new Galaxy Z series this year.

Samsung has also reduced the volume of packaging for Galaxy Z Flip4 by 52.8% and for Galaxy Z Fold4 by 58.2% respectively compared to the first-generation Galaxy foldables. By reducing each device package’s volume, Samsung ultimately reduces its environmental footprint in transporting these units using trucks, planes and ships. The company estimates that this reduction in packaging volume equates to a reduction in carbon emissions from transportation of approximately 10,000 tons by the end of 2022.⁵ In addition to continually evolving packaging for flagship smartphones, Samsung will expand eco-conscious packaging to other product categories.

Scaling Solutions That Reduce E-waste

More than ever, reducing e-waste is crucial to advancing a circular economy that preserves and repurposes the planet’s finite resources. According to the World Economic Forum, 57 million tons of e-waste was generated in 2021, and it is expected to grow by 2 million tons per year.⁶

To address this, Samsung has been expanding the Galaxy Upcycling program, which gives new life to older Galaxy smartphones. Through Galaxy Upcycling at Home,⁷ Samsung repurposes smartphones with a simple software update that turns them into smart home devices that support everyday needs, such as childcare and pet care.

An important part of Galaxy Upcycling is ensuring that these sustainable practices not only support the environment but also improve people’s lives. The company also upcycles secondhand Galaxy devices into medical diagnosis equipment called EYELIKE fundus cameras that provide necessary eye care services in underserved communities. This program has already upcycled hundreds of Galaxy devices and provided basic eye care for over 13,000 patients in Vietnam, Morocco, India and Papua New Guinea.

The Path Forward

Samsung has set clear sustainability goals by scaling solutions across its business. Whether it is repurposing discarded fishing nets for Galaxy devices, striving to achieve plastic-free packaging or moving us forward to achieve zero waste to landfill and zero standby power of smartphone chargers, Samsung is realizing its Galaxy for the Planet vision one step at a time.

There will be more challenges along the way, but Samsung will hold itself accountable and continue to report progress on its mission to effect positive change and inspire others to protect the planet for generations to come.

¹ FAO and UNEP.

² By number of models. This includes Galaxy smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables Samsung launched globally from September 2021 to August 2022. There are 37 models launched globally during this period and 34 models include at least one component that is made of recycled materials or bio-based resin.

³ More than 90% of all the plastic components of Galaxy Buds2 Pro are made of partly recycled materials. 29 grams of plastics are used in the Galaxy Buds2 Pro in total, and components weighing more than 27 grams are made with partly recycled materials. Each of these components contains at least 20% of either discarded fishing nets (ocean-bound plastic) or post-consumer materials. Recycled fishing nets are used in three internal components of the cradle case in its bracket deco front, bracket battery holder and bracket-PCB. Post-consumer recycled materials are used in eight exterior components. Four components in both Ear Buds in its case front left/right, case rear left/right. And four components in the cradle case in its deco front, case-upper, case-upper inner and case-lower.

⁴ A 30-year-old pine tree can produce 59 kg of paper.

⁵ This is calculated based on ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 standard, using Ecoinvent 3.8 database for transportation of SM-F700F, SM-F721B, SM-F900F and SM-F936B models from Korea to Europe.

⁶ World Economic Forum, “This year’s e-waste to outweigh Great Wall of China,” October 18, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/2021-years-e-waste-outweigh-great-wall-of-china/.

⁷ Galaxy Upcycling at Home is available in the US, the UK and Korea currently and availability may vary by carrier. This feature is available on all Galaxy S, Note and Z series released since 2018(Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note9 or later) running Android 9 and above. More devices will be supported in the future.

*The content has been revised as of January 30, 2023 to provide more accurate information. 

Unlike in the past when one screen meant one application open, Galaxy Z foldable phone users can divide their screens according to what they need to get done, and even rest their phone easily to harness apps hands-free. With the latest lineup of foldable phones, these multi-tasking features have evolved to become more sophisticated and offer more unique user experiences.

In the second part of this two-part series, Samsung Newsroom is providing some useful tips for harnessing the unique form factor and user experience (UX) of the Galaxy Z foldable lineup for everyday scenarios in ways you might not have thought of before.

Multi-Active Window ①: Viewing Two Navigation Applications – Simultaneously

When choosing which route to take with a navigation app, unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic jams or construction, can make you regret the route you’ve taken. Galaxy Z foldable phone users have an easy fix to such situations: thanks to Multi-Active Window, you can easily open up two different navigation apps at the same time to compare expected arrival times and traffic situations so as to follow the navigation route that will get you to your destination as quickly as possible.

Notably, the Galaxy Z Fold2 features a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that allows you to check your route with a single glance. If you’d like to switch back to following just one navigation app, simply adjust the Multi-Active Window tray to view the navigation app you prefer with a single tap of the screen. With this easy-to-view and easily dividable screen, you can navigate rush hour with an extra helping hand.

Multi-Active Window ②: Mobile Banking Made Easy

As mobile banking has become more convenient, it has become more and more common for us to use our smartphones to make financial transactions as we go about our day, particularly when we need to send a friend some money or make a quick online purchase. However, bank account numbers are not easy to memorize, meaning that when it comes to making a transfer, we find ourselves switching back and forth between app windows – making what should be a seamless process somewhat inconvenient.

Galaxy Z foldable phone users can get their mobile bank transfers done in no time, as they can divide their smartphone’s screen to view the messenger app with account information on the top half and manage their mobile banking app on the bottom half. You can enjoy convenient and accurate transactions on the very first try all without the hassle of memorizing account numbers as you can check the correct information as you go thanks to Multi-Active Window.

When you need to access information or details for a bank transfer regularly, you can use App Pair, a feature that lets you open up to three of your most-frequently used apps at the same time, to ‘pair’ your notepad with your mobile banking application – meaning that the two will open simultaneously and allow you to make your payments more conveniently.

Drag and Drop: For Editing Files, Even While on the Go

We’ve all had those moments after work when we’re enjoying having logged off for the day – but then an urgent message comes in that the presentation we were working on requires editing. In order to allow users to respond to such time-sensitive requests using just their Galaxy Z foldable smartphones, Samsung has developed intuitive document editing functions for easy file editing in any situation.

Drag and Drop is a feature that lets you copy & paste text, charts and images instantly when using compatible apps. For example, say you have divided your screen into three parts using Multi-Active Window to open up Excel, PowerPoint, and Word at the same time. You can easily edit all your files in one go with this feature as you can copy data from Excel and paste it right away into your PowerPoint presentation, or copy an image from PowerPoint and paste it directly into your Word document. From editing through to sending the edited file, everything can be taken care of directly from your smartphone.

Multi-Active Window ③: Making Travel Plans Easier and Quicker with Vertical Split Screen

Making concrete and organized travel plans is a crucial part of having a relaxing vacation, especially when you’re planning for a spontaneous weekend away or a sudden trip that doesn’t leave you with much time to plan. Getting everything done at once can be overwhelming, so by harnessing Multi-Active Window and Vertical Split Screen Mode of your Galaxy Z foldable phone, you can make your vacation plans and bookings with optimal efficiency. First, split your top screen vertically, and harness the bottom screen to research your vacation ideas while making note of itineraries in one half of your split top screen and searching for real-time pricings of accommodations on the other half.

Furthermore, Galaxy Z Fold users can simply swipe left on their Edge panel, tap the app they’d like to switch into their Multi-Active Window layout and drag it into the layout to instantly open the app. For your most commonly-used layouts, you can also save a specific mode into your Edge panel for easy and instant access whenever you need it.

Flex Mode: Harnessing Your Foldable Phone for Victory with a Second Screen

These days, many gamers are using game walkthroughs, which are guides that provide useful information pertaining to the game’s characters, maps, items and more. In order to most effectively enjoy a walkthrough while playing a game, Galaxy Z Fold2 users can harness their smartphone as a handy secondary monitor by using Flex mode and the Cover display. Simply place your device in a convenient location and enjoy stress-free gaming without the hassle of having to set up a secondary monitor or arrange a smartphone within the best field of vision.

If you’d like to watch the game walkthrough more in detail, all you need to do is just unfold the Galaxy Z Fold. The Galaxy Z Fold series supports App Continuity, meaning that you can freely move between the Cover and Main displays.

In this two-part series, Samsung Newsroom will be detailing some of those moments and situations in which the revolutionary form factors of Samsung Electronics’ foldable lineup come in particularly useful. Read on to learn more.

Split Screen Capture: For Instant Sharing of Those Must-See Moments

When you are watching a TV show or movie, you are bound to run into a hilarious scene that you just have to share with others. So, what do you do when you want to share these must-see scenes with friends? You have to undergo the cumbersome process of screen capturing, cropping, editing and sharing your screen capture via messaging application, all without missing as little of your favorite show as possible. So as to let you enjoy your favorite content while sharing, the Galaxy Z Fold2 comes with the Split Screen Capture feature.

The Split Screen Capture feature of the Galaxy Z Fold2 allows you to take a separate screenshot of up to three applications on your screen at the same time and then select only the screenshots of the specific application, or applications, of your choice. After capturing the separated screen, you will see the screenshots of the open applications at the bottom of your display. Simply select the screenshot you would like to share and drag and drop that image into your messenger application to seamlessly share the image for uninterrupted media and sharing experiences.

Flex mode ①: For Freestanding Viewing Experiences

Watching a video on your smartphone with the device propped up on a surface without a phone stand, tripod or holder is about never very enjoyable; even when you are resting your phone against an object, it’s far too easy for the phone to slip down, and without a stand or other accessory, it is not always easy to get your phone to stand at the desired angle. However, if you are Galaxy Z foldable device user, you need not worry about such hindrances, and there’s no need to buy any separate accessories. The devices themselves can act as their own stand in order to allow you to watch your favorite content at variety of angles while moving both hands freely.

When you use Flex mode, the screen will automatically divide into two when you fold the phone to make it stand at a certain angle. The unique advantage of Galaxy Z Fold2 is that you can even watch your chosen media directly from the cover display. If you fold your smartphone to stand on its two displays with the hinge pointing up like a tent, you can enjoy watching videos in this other unique and stable format. The Galaxy Z Fold2’s cover display of 6.2-inches, enhanced from the previous Fold’s cover display size of 4.6-inches, matches the size of regular smartphone displays, meaning that your viewing experiences are not compromised when watching content.

Dual Preview: For Photos Taken Your Way

One of the great benefits of hanging out with close friends is that, when the moment arises, you have your own personal photographers available. But not everyone’s photography skills are the same – sometimes the picture you take for your friend will be fabulous while the one they take for you could use some work. In order to provide better shooting experiences and protect friendships, Samsung developed the Dual Preview feature, available on the Galaxy Z Fold2.

Dual Preview allows not just the photographer but also the subject on the other side of the camera to look at themselves on the large-sized Cover display of the Galaxy Z Fold2. You can experiment with your facial expression and pose to find the best look, and then even directly take the photo yourself by showing the palm of your hand to the camera. Essentially, even when your friend is holding your phone like a tripod, you can take selfies in the way that suits you best.

Flex mode ②: For More Precise Editing

These days we are always adding filters or other such layers, such as handwritten words and stickers, to our pictures. The Galaxy Z foldable phone lineup is here to help you make these edits more precisely thanks to its Multi-Window function. When you divide the screen into two and open the original image on the top and the photo editing application in the bottom display, you can work on the photos while comparing the two screens real-time.¹ By comparing the edits to the original image, you can ensure that any special effects you add are kept in line with the original photo’s tone. You can also open an image that you’d like to use as a reference on the top screen while editing on the bottom screen for even more editing inspiration.

▲ A photo edited to showcase the editing function available using Multi-Window

For further editing ease, you can also harness the AI-powered Object Eraser feature which erases unnecessary objects in your photos. Simply open the original photo on the top screen and use the bottom screen to erase those background or other unnecessary elements in your photos one by one by touching the screen. By comparing the edited version and the original version at once, you can ensure that what remains in your edited photos is what is worth emphasizing.

Auto framing: For Seamless Angle Adjustment with Automatic AI in Group Shots

Taking a group shot to commemorate the moment when hanging out with friends and family is a must. However, someone in the group will always suffer by being caught at the wrong angle, or have to bear the inconvenience of adjusting the camera several times to find the perfect angle as others move around. This is why the Galaxy Z foldable line comes with the dedicated Auto framing feature, which helps you take photos of all members of a group at just the right angle.

Thanks to AI-powered machine learning capabilities, Auto framing recognizes the body and faces of the subject or subjects in front of the camera and will then track and automatically adjust the angle of view to capture them by zooming in or out, moving the screen, and more. The camera focus will automatically adjust when up to two people move in and out of focus, and once more than three people enter the frame, the camera will zoom out so that as many people as possible can appear in-shot. Simply place your Galaxy Z foldable device at the right angle and you are more than ready to take winning group shots worthy of sharing.

¹ Some photo editing applications may not support the Multi-Window function.