Advancing Circularity With the Galaxy S24 Series

Samsung is celebrating Earth Day by reflecting on the Galaxy S24 series and spotlighting the work of young changemakers.

Samsung is on a journey to harness the power of technology to open more possibilities for people and the planet. To celebrate Earth Day, Samsung would like to reflect on how we’re advancing our mission and creating a more sustainable future — whether we’re increasing the use of recycled materials in our Galaxy mobile devices or collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).    

Finding the Balance between Innovation and the Environment

Samsung is reimagining how Galaxy technology is designed and packaged to do more with less when it comes to our planet’s natural resources. For the last decade, we have worked to innovate high-performance components that are made with recycled materials.   We took an important step in 2022 when we incorporated recycled discarded fishing nets, also known as ghost nets, in the Galaxy S22 series. Recycled materials can now be found in all Galaxy mobile products, including smartphones, tablets, PCs and wearables[1]. At the same time, we have expanded our use to a greater variety of materials, from several different types of plastics to metals and glass.  

Visualizing how the Galaxy S24 series is designed and packaged to do more with less for people and the planet

  The Galaxy S24 series[2] takes these actions one step further. For the first time in any Galaxy device, we developed key device components with recycled cobalt, rare earth elements and steel. The battery[3] in the Galaxy S24 Ultra contains a minimum of 50% recycled cobalt, and 100% recycled rare earth elements[4] and a minimum of 40% recycled steel[5] were used in the speakers.   Samsung has a long history of addressing the pervasive challenge of plastic waste through our recycled material innovations, and recycled plastics continue to play an important role in the Galaxy S24 series. The Galaxy S24 series maintains our use of recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels and PET bottles.   The recycled ocean-bound plastic[6] material was created in partnership with global organizations who collected discarded fishing nets abandoned near the oceans. The nets’ properties were separated, cleaned and extruded before optimizing them into high-performance, recycled polyamide pellets. Similarly, the recycled polycarbonate and PET materials are sourced from discarded water barrels and PET bottles that were ground, filtered and melted down with other additives. This process helps us transform these fragile resources into high-performance optimized materials that uphold Samsung’s state-of-the-art design and high-quality standards. We also teamed up with other organizations to upcycle discarded Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) that was generated from shoe manufacturing.   This is a culmination of our continued efforts with our partners to transform fragile plastic wastes into high performance material used in Galaxy devices. With the Galaxy S24 series, our goal by end of 2024 is to help recover nearly 100 metric tons of recycled plastics[7], which is equivalent to 10 million empty plastic bottles[8].   When it comes to recycled metal, the Galaxy S24 series incorporates recycled aluminum[9] that originates from scrap metal generated during manufacturing. The aluminum scrap is re-melted, filtered for impurities and then recycled to make components within Samsung’s product development process. With the Galaxy S24 series, our goal by end of 2024 is to recover about 110 metric tons of recycled aluminum, which is the equivalent of 9 million soda cans[10].   Additionally, the Galaxy S24 series comes in a packaging box made using 100% recycled paper material. By the end of 2024, our goals is to recover nearly 2,760 metric tons of recycled paper with Galaxy S24 series, which is equivalent of 552 million pieces of A4 paper[11]. If stacked on top of one another, that would be approximately the same height as 71 Burj Khalifas[12], which is the tallest building in the world.   From the smallest components to the newest, most premium features, the Galaxy S24 series represents a significant stride in Samsung’s sustainability journey, and we remain committed to scaling these innovations in years to come. This work will help us shift to more circular designs and build technology that supports a more sustainable future.        

[1] Recycled materials can be found in all Galaxy devices released in and after 2022

[2] The Galaxy S24 series features a variety of recycled materials including pre- or post-consumer recycled plastics, including Polyamide (PA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) in both internal and external components. It also includes components made with pre-consumer recycled aluminum and glass, as well as pre- and post-consumer recycled cobalt, rare earth elements (neodymium), and steel. For more information about the recycled materials in the Galaxy S24 series, please review Samsung’s product environmental reports on the Sustainability website.

[3] The batteries of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24+ include a minimum of 50% pre- and post-consumer recycled cobalt. The battery of the Galaxy S24 includes a minimum of 10% pre- and post-consumer recycled cobalt. The above measurements are based on weight.

[4] The speakers of the Galaxy S24 series include 100% pre- and post-consumer recycled neodymium. The above measurements are based on weight.

[5] The speakers of the Galaxy S24 series include a minimum of 40% pre- and post-consumer recycled steel. The above measurements are based on weight.

[6] 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.

[7] Calculated tons of recycled materials in this article are based on internal estimates.

[8] Assuming the weight of 500ml PET bottles is 10g, which is the average weight of PET bottles from manufacturers across the market.

[9] A minimum of 28% pre-consumer recycled aluminum is used in both internal and external aluminum components of Galaxy S24 series. For more information about the recycled materials in the Galaxy S24 series, please review Samsung’s product environmental reports on the Sustainability website.

[10] Average weight of 330ml soda can is calculated from Metal Packaging Europe article.

[11] Average weight of A4 paper is calculated based on ISO 536:2019.

[12] At 828 meters high, the Burj Khalifa holds the record as the tallest building in the world.