World Environment Day: How to Make Big Differences with Small Actions at Home

World Environment Day is celebrated every 5^th of June to remind ourselves that everyone has a part to play in addressing the pressing environmental issues around us today.

With all that has happened over the past year, it is now more important than ever before to assure our present and our future. The time is now to put our commitments into action.

Sometimes, big changes start with small actions. Leaving a positive impact on the environment can start in the form of small things we do at home to the purchase decisions we make when buying devices. Here are 4 mini projects that you can easily embark on during World Environment Day that will help make a big difference:

Give used packaging a second lease of life

Offering something for everyone, Samsung’s eco-packaging can be transformed into fun and functional household items such as bedside shelves, coffee tables and even cat houses!

Packaging materials serve a crucial role of protecting a product from damage before it gets into the hands of consumers. But given the materials they are made of, product packaging has so much more to offer beyond the delivery and unpacking stage.

For years now, many of us have been reusing product packaging such as cardboard boxes for storage. However, with some ingenuity and the right stationery, cardboards can actually be redesigned into proper home furniture! Today, there are plenty of hobbyist websites that show you how to covert cardboards into amazing furniture such as chairs, tables and even playhouses.

Samsung’s Eco-Package, for instance, lets consumers convert their product packaging into functional and fun furniture such as shoe racks, mini coffee tables and even cat houses! All you need to do is cut out the packaging by following the printed dots and assemble the parts to create an amazing item! For more design inspiration, check out: https://www.samsung-ecopackage.com/

Eliminate the (energy) vampire in your home

Galaxy Smartphone Chargers are designed to reduce energy consumption when in “standby mode”

You might think that there is no energy consumption when a device is not in use or not plugged in. However, even when on ‘standby,’ most devices have main components that are still running[1], ready to use anytime.

This represents a major source of energy inefficiency. Standby power usage accounts for about 10% of the total power consumption of households[2], giving it the notorious nickname: “The Power Vampire”. As a consumer, you can play a part in reducing energy consumption by looking out for devices built to attain near-zero standby power instead.

Since 2012, Samsung has reduced the standby power consumption of flagship Galaxy devices’ chargers to address the problem of power waste[3]. This has led to collective savings 13 million kilowatts (kW) of energy[4] – equivalent to the energy output of 4.5 hydroelectric power plants!

We have since applied this enhancement to the chargers of devices throughout our product range[5] and are currently aiming to reduce the standby power consumption of chargers to zero.

Look out for innovative technology built on sustainability

Launched in 2021, Samsung’s Solar cell-powered remote control will collectively prevent the wastage of 99 million AA batteries over the course of seven years.

Cutting-edge innovations can be built with sustainability in mind. When making purchase considerations as a consumer, you can play a part in protecting the environment by looking out for sustainability practices and green features. Ultimately, when you are using a device with built-in sustainability features, you are not only helping the environment – you will most likely enjoy savings in the long run too!

At Samsung, our sustainability-based approach to innovation has transpired into many new devices with best-in-class sustainability features, including:

• The Solar cell-powered remote control[6], which can be recharged through outdoor lighting or USB. Collectively, this will prevent the wastage of around 99 million AA batteries over the course of seven years[7].

• Our flagship AI Ecobubble™ washing machines, which leverage AI to optimize water, detergent and wash cycles, cuts wash time by up to 50% and energy usage by 20%[8] – going easy on the environment and utility bills!

• The Wind-Free™ Air Conditioner, which reduces energy consumption by 77%[9].

Upcycle your old devices

New innovations within the consumer electronics space are being introduced at breakneck speeds. Understandably, you would be inclined to purchase the latest gadgets to better support your lifestyles at some point.

However, this doesn’t have to mark the end of the line for your existing devices! Instead of disposing an old device, give it a new lease of life through upcycling. With a little dose of creativity, you can give your old device a new job by using it for a completely different purpose.

Here are a few simple thought-starters to give your old smartphone a new lease of life:

1. Use it as a permanent in-car GPS
2. Use it as a security camera at home to monitor your children, pets or elderly parents via an app
3. Use it as a standalone music player by connecting to your favourite speakers
4. Use it as a bedside e-book reader

Inspire others and do your part for collective action

Ultimately, every single action counts towards a greater good and your environmental-friendly habits will go a long way to inspire those around you. Let’s make this World Environmental Day more than just a social media post!

[1] Standby power will be marked as zero (0.00w) if the charger’s standby power reaches below 5mW to reduce power consumption.

[2] https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/green-tip/eliminate-vampire-power

[3] Based on 15W and 25W Galaxy smartphone chargers.

[4] The 540 million 15W and 25W Galaxy smartphone chargers sold from 2014 to 2019 saved approximately 350 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy (compared to the 100mW Level VI standard of Europe’s ErP and the United States’ Department of Energy), which is equivalent to the combined energy output of 4.5 hydroelectric power plants (13 million kWh-class).

[5] Availability of 20mW chargers may vary depending on markets’ national energy standards and policies.

[6] Available with all 2021 QLED TV product lines.

[7] Figure based on internal Samsung research (7 years is average lifecycle of TV products).

[8] Tested on WW7000T compared with Samsung WW6500K. Saves 50% time on Cotton (40℃, half load) cycle with washing performance within ±5%. Based on Intertek data.

[9] When set to Wind-Free mode; and compared to the unit’s Fast Cooling Mode