Every year, the world observes World Environment Day with a shared resolve to protect our planet. At Samsung, we believe this day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a call to action. One of the most urgent yet often overlooked environmental challenges of our time is electronic waste (e-waste).

Sustainability Begins with Awareness and Action

At Samsung, sustainability is not just a goal, but a responsibility. We are committed to raising awareness about the environmental impact of e-waste and empowering people with simple yet powerful actions that make a difference.

Through our Samsung Care for Clean India initiative, we are creating a circular ecosystem for responsible e-waste management. We collect discarded electronics and ensure they are disposed of through government-authorized recyclers—safely, ethically, and sustainably.

Repair, Don’t Replace: A Smart, Responsible Choice

This year, we are going one step further. We are not just asking people to recycle, but to rethink how we consume.

One simple yet impactful choice is opting for mobile screen repair instead of replacing the entire device. Our screen repair services are designed with sustainability at their core: they reduce the need for new raw materials, extend your device’s usage, and reduce the amount of e-waste generated.

See how screen repair is a responsible choice – Watch the video

When you choose to repair, you’re not just saving money—you’re reducing e-waste.

This World Environment Day, Be Part of the Solution

Every small action counts. Whether it’s repairing a cracked screen, recycling an old phone, or spreading the word—your choices matter.

Here’s a message from your old electronics – Watch the video

This World Environment Day, we invite you to join us in building a cleaner, more sustainable future. Let’s pledge to reduce e-waste, support responsible consumption, and care for the only planet we call home.

Together, we can turn awareness into action—and action into lasting impact.

No matter what country you live in, if something happens to our world, it affects everyone and everything living on Earth. That’s why it’s so important to take care of our planet — we only get one.

At Samsung Electronics, we want to lead by example and create a company culture that is not only dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology, but also to preserving our planet.

At a time when the climate crisis is top of mind, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is especially relevant to Samsung’s sustainability goals. Samsung is dedicated to numerous projects making our world a greener place, such as repurposing discarded fishing nets for use in Galaxy devices.

Samsung Newsroom is kicking off a new series highlighting how Samsung employees worldwide are building a more sustainable future. Jenni Chun’s journey is the first of many to showcase how we’re building a better, brighter world through ESG.

# A Day in the Life of Jenni Chun

Meet Jenni Chun, the Head of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs at Samsung Electronics America (SEA). As part of Samsung America’s Quality Assurance Lab, located half an hour away from SEA’s North American Headquarters in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, Jenni and her team take pride in activities that help tell Samsung’s sustainability story. So what is a day at Samsung like for Jenni?

“I get that question a lot, and I always tell people that no day ever repeats itself,” said Jenni. “My team and I manage such a wide range of topics, and the priorities may change in a moment, which is part of what makes this job so exciting.”

In her role, Jenni analyzes and connects each of Samsung’s products to different regulations and environmental issues, covering everything from air cleaners and dryers to tablets and packaging regulations. Whether her team is auditing, benchmarking or resolving issues related to standards and certifications, she oversees all environmental activities to make each day at Samsung more eco-conscious. No matter what she’s doing, however, Jenni usually collaborates with others to make her vision of sustainability a reality.

“I work closely with our research and development teams to ideate new projects or ideas that could become the next generation of technology while also ensuring a more sustainable future,” said Jenni. “We collaborate to influence at every level, as well as amplify all of our sustainability efforts to consumers.”

Her department has a wide reach — from working with the U.S. Public Affairs team to ensure that Samsung is well-represented in government and trade association communications, to product and brand teams to ideate how the company can reduce its environmental footprint, to Global CS Center’s work to make a global impact, Jenni works hard every day to see how the planet can benefit from Samsung’s vision for a brighter tomorrow.

# Living the Green Mindset

Whether she’s working for Samsung, volunteering for her community, or at home raising her child, Jenni wants to integrate sustainability into everything she does.

For Jenni, there is so much to learn and improve when looking at other countries’ public awareness and environmental practices. Of course, with a global company like Samsung, it is much easier to make an impact working with others than trying to do it alone.

“I’m grateful that my job can contribute to making an impact at a global scale with a company that genuinely cares for the environment,” said Jenni. “We have support from our leaders to make environmental sustainability a top priority.”

Jenni is someone who wants to bring her whole self to work, values and all. So what’s the best way to implement a green mindset at work? Jenni highlights the importance of leading and educating by example, especially when it comes to environmental sustainability.

“I always try to integrate environmental sustainability into conversations with my team because our colleagues are also our consumers,” said Jenni. “It is important to patiently explain, educate and build awareness.”

# The Gold Standard for Sustainability

When it comes to working at Samsung, Jenni is constantly looking to tell the next sustainability story that reduces the company’s environmental impact. According to Jenni, Samsung is a leader in innovation, not only within the technology of its products, but also in how the company practices sustainability. For instance, Jenni spoke highly of Samsung’s various ESG initiatives, like “Samsung Gives Week of Service,” where she was able to plant pollinator flowers with her son and help support the bees.

“I love that it’s a sustainability project where we’re able to speak to others and get the word out about sustainable topics,” said Jenni. “What better way is there to create ambassadors for environmental sustainability than by doing activities like this with our children?”

Beyond participating in internal company initiatives, Jenni has also been recognized for her award-winning work for the company. For instance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually presents a Sustainability Materials Management (SMM) Award recognizing excellence in e-waste collection throughout the United States. Jenni has led the Samsung team to win this Gold-Tier award for the past eight consecutive years since the beginning, as Samsung collects and recycles an average of 100 million pounds of e-waste per year, an accumulation of over 1.1 billion pounds in the United States.

Over the years, Jenni and her team have also contributed to Samsung earning multiple U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Awards. She even worked with the EPA to set new criteria for refrigerators, using advanced adaptive compressors and induction cooktops to make them more energy efficient.

“In the long-term, we are looking for new ways that technology can positively impact our consumers and our planet,” said Jenni. “We wanted to be sure that consumers are benefitting from seamless Samsung technology, lowered costs and minimizing their environmental footprint with more sustainable options.”

# ESG From the Inside Out

For Jenni, sustainability is at the heart of her work at Samsung. So, Samsung Newsroom wanted to know how she spent World Environment Day, a holiday known for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

For Jenni, she chose to spend time with her family, especially with her son, in the outdoors and appreciate nature up close. During the pandemic, she noticed that many people were spending more in the great outdoors. She, too, wanted to spend time enjoying the environment that her job and her free time focused on defending.

“I took my son to an aquarium, where he not only fell in love with ocean animals, but also learned about environmental issues,” said Jenni. “He discovered that plastic wastes are harmful to marine life, and since then, reducing plastic waste has become a big focus in our household.”

And not to worry — for readers at home, Jenni has her own eco-conscious tips for your everyday life. She recommends that we each change a product or behavior to reduce the use of plastic. This could include avoiding takeout with plastic containers, using reusable grocery bags or switching to hygiene goods made with environmentally friendly packaging.

“It can sometimes be uncomfortable to make a change, but making small, everyday changes can help make a big difference,” said Jenni. “I encourage everyone to make one change today, such as a behavior or product that would reduce your individual environmental footprint.”

In her personal life, Jenni certainly practices what she preaches, living an eco-conscious lifestyle both inside and outside of work. For instance, Jenni does a lot of career mentorship and speaks about sustainability practitioners at Columbia University. As a graduate from the university’s Sustainability Management Program, she has been invited to several career forums to discuss what a sustainability-focused job looks like, especially in the private sector and for large technologies companies, like Samsung.

# Our Planet, Our Future

On this renowned day for environmental action, it is important to remember that a healthy ecosystem can begin at our workplace. Now more than ever, companies must work to improve the quality of our lives, protect our ecosystem and preserve natural resources for future generations. Samsung is doing its part to become a socially responsible place to work by integrating environmental sustainability into every level of the business. We only have one planet Earth, and it’s up to us to care for it.

Jenni Chun is an excellent example of a woman using her passion for educating others on the importance of environmental sustainability to create a greener future for the next generation. From mentoring and providing career advice in her personal time to working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to raise the standard to minimize electronic waste, Jenni is an advocate for positive environmental change.

Learn more about Samsung Electronics’ sustainability initiatives here, and stay tuned for more Samsung employees who are helping to save the planet, one workday at a time.

Sustainability has always been a central theme for us designers; we understand the crucial role design plays when it comes to creating a sustainable future. So at a time when caring for our environment has become ever more important, let us take the opportunity to commemorate World Environment Day by sharing our vision for a better tomorrow through design.

Don-tae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics

It will certainly take time to fully achieve environmental sustainability in a way that everyone can benefit from. For many, environmental issues may have been difficult to relate to until they’ve started to experience tangible changes in their daily lives, such as using air purifiers due to fine dust problems or wearing masks to prevent the spread of viral diseases. From a design perspective, even if initiatives such as waste minimization, upcycling and energy efficiency maximization are put into place, there is still always more to be done. On top of this, designers always need to consider the aesthetics of their design in addition to its environmental footprint.

There are three main principles behind the concept of sustainable design. The first is the Eco-design Process. This is where eco-friendly initiatives, such as low energy consumption and high energy efficiency, are implemented throughout the entirety of a concept’s design process, from planning through to development. An example of this would be the upcycling approach Samsung harnessed when producing special edition Galaxy S20+ cases. In order to develop cases that utilized end-of-life PET water bottles, Samsung partnered with premium Danish textile brand Kvadrat. The collaboration saw over two years of sustainable development and planning to ensure that the end products would be both aesthetically relevant and eco-friendly. The resulting manufacture process differed from that of conventional cases in that it harnessed recycled yarns to create a substantial material to work with; from sourcing these recycled materials to ensuring the products passed Samsung’s stringent reliability standards, the entire design process had sustainability built into it.

Samsung’s sustainable Galaxy S20+ cases, created in collaboration with Kvadrat

The second key principle of sustainable design is to create resonance with those who use the products by involving consumers’ considerations in the eco-design process. Samsung’s recently introduced ‘eco-packaging’ for its global lifestyle TV products is one such example. The innovative cardboard packaging, which serves both as protection for the TV product and can also be used in numerous ways as a piece of sustainable furniture, was developed out of the understanding that, when consumers purchased TVs, they were also often purchasing other furniture items for their homes at the same time. In order to give these consumers more eco-friendly furnishing options, the TV’s packaging comes with easy-to-follow DIY instructions on how to transform the versatile cardboard into a standalone shelf, a TV table or even a cat house. The end goal of this was to give consumers more options when looking to take part in environmental protection – and to help them avoid being wasteful.

Samsung’s lifestyle TV packaging can be repurposed to serve as a cat house

The final principle is to give consumers the tools they need to make real changes to their lifestyles towards living sustainably and protecting the environment. Samsung’s SmartThings Energy¹, part of Samsung’s IoT platform SmartThings, is a service that allows users to easily and comprehensively monitor their home’s electricity consumption. The service is designed to provide users with a more grounded understanding of their energy consumption and the effects their energy reduction efforts can have, as it provides this information in the form of visualizations. Such a service is capable of raising its users’ awareness of sustainable living and encouraging them to take steps towards more eco-friendly behavior.

In 1996, Samsung elevated design to being one of the company’s core competencies, and since then the company has consistently placed users at the center of its design philosophy. This is in line with Samsung’s mission of contributing to a better global society; if a sustainable society is not the end goal, then what use does any such action have? This is why the company opened design studios all over the world, including in Seoul, San Francisco, London, New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo and São Paulo to research and study emerging sustainable design and lifestyle trends. Today, over 1,500 of our designers are studying sustainable development and design and collaborating to find solutions that are able to meet the company’s high sustainability expectations.

Samsung Electronics will continue to develop products and solutions that reflect the concerns of consumers who value ethical consumption and environmentally-friendly initiatives. We will also keep working towards creating a sustainable future for all with eco-friendly designs that have the consumer at their core.

¹ Currently only available in South Korea

by Don-tae Lee

[Executive Vice President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics]

Eco-friendly fashion show at SIELS Chennai

Samsung has always made a conscious effort in creating environmental awareness among its employees. This year too, there were several activities planned in Samsung offices across the country and employees participated in large numbers.

Employees at SIELS Chandigarh

The activities kicked off at SRI-Delhi with plastic and digital waste awareness campaign and a Cleanliness Drive was initiated. Despite the sweltering heat, employees gathered in large numbers and cleaned the immediate vicinity taking a pledge to keep their surroundings clean.

SRI-D employees participate in a Cleanliness Drive

The volunteers also planted saplings in the vicinity to boost the green belt and improve environmental sustainability. These will be regularly maintained and monitored by the employees.

In Bengaluru, at the R&D Institute, the team comprised of enthusiastic participants. A creative DIY station was set up in the lobby. Employees were encouraged to recycle and reuse old daily items like t-shirts and plastic bottle among others.

Making bags from old t-shirts at SRI-B

There was also a seed ball activity where employees were taught to create a ball with organic seeds of leafy vegetables and plants that are rolled in mud and compost. This seed ball can germinate into a full-grown plant in a conducive environment.

Seed ball activity at SRI-B

The creativity of the employees was at its peak in the photography (#MyGreenSpace) and painting (#PaintYourImagination) competition that brought together enjoyable moments and the eagerness to make a difference. E-waste campaigns were organized at Samsung offices across the country where employees were given saplings in exchange for their electronic waste. This met with massive participation all over.

SRI-N employees at work

Drawing competition for children organized by SIELS Kolkata

Across all offices, one thing was common — the passion to bring a change. With awareness videos and green messages, the employees made an earnest promise to the environment to be eco-friendly in day-to-day activities. After all, it’s our planet and we are responsible for it.

During this month, SRI-B ran a month-long campaign to reduce bottled water consumption and create awareness about recycling products.

One of the activities conducted during the Environment Month was #BYOB, or Bring Your Own Bottle campaign, which aims to create a permanent change within the organization, which is Samsung’s largest R&D centre in the world, outside Korea. Employees were encouraged to become #BYOB champions by bringing in their own refillable bottles to reduce consumption of plastic bottles.

Group of #BYOB champions display their reusable water bottles

Going green: Employees proudly pose with their saplings.

In order to encourage employees to recycle old products, a special Do It Yourself workshop was conducted by the DIY club where members were encouraged to bring in old used products like bottles, boxes, empty old jars and vases, so that they could be redecorated and reused using creative methods such as decoupage – where colored paper cutouts are glued to items in combination with special paint effects.

DIY club members decorate their waste items using decoupage

With a whole month of such activities to promote environment friendly practices, SRI-B is continuing on its path to create a positive and green difference.

E-waste Bins

Samsung India Electronics, committed to driving sustainability across the board, introduced a week-long E-waste awareness program for World Environment Day 2016.

As part of the program, Samsung ran a host of activities that educate and ensure awareness, at its two manufacturing units in Chennai and Noida; R&D centres in Delhi, Bengaluru and Noida, partner services across the country and all its offices. Informative videos and teasers and educative e-mailers with facts and insights were shared with employees; while special E-waste bins were put up across locations for employees to adhere to the Company’s philosophy of building a greener environment, so that they can inspire others to follow better E-waste management practices.

Special World Environment Day theme decorations were deployed at mobile service centres. These included notice board decoration and digital display of video, creatives, art or craft made of E-waste material (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and placing plants in and around the service centers. Employees are being encouraged to commute to office through greener mode of transport.

Anurag Prashar, Vice President, Samsung India Electronics, said, “United Nations’ World Environment Day is an important time for everyone to remind ourselves of our responsibility towards the environment and to resolve that we should come together and work towards protecting the future of planet Earth. At Samsung, we are committed to a sustainable future that makes everyday living better and through this program our aim was to drive this change in thinking through a call for action.”

Samsung Take-back And Recycling (STAR) program is an initiative towards leading a more conscious life, and taking an aware step towards conservation and optimization of resources. So, when an electronic product reaches its end-of-life, we take it back, reuse it, recycle and reinvent it. Samsung Electronics is integrating multiple innovations into its business processes for efficient use of resources to contribute to the noble cause of environment preservation for the greater good of the society at large.

The global E-waste policy of Samsung Electronics supports recycling and remains committed to comply with India’s E-waste Management and Handling Rules.