As part of these sustainability efforts, Samsung has expanded the use of recycled materials in plastic parts for its products. By 2030, Samsung aims to incorporate 50% recycled materials into its plastic parts and by 2050, aims to use 100% recycled materials for all of its plastic parts.

Samsung’s SolarCell Remote exemplifies Samsung’s commitment to the environment, and as it celebrates its third anniversary, Samsung Newsroom is exploring how this eco-conscious product has progressed since its initial release in 2021, with perspectives from JongKeun Lee of H/W Platform Lab and HyunJoo Kim of Mecha Solution Lab.

▲ (From left) JongKeun Lee from H/W Platform Lab and HyunJoo Kim from Mecha Solution Lab

Eliminating the Need for Disposable Batteries

Samsung developed the SolarCell Remote to combat the environmental impact of discarding used batteries. It is the industry’s first rechargeable remote control, with a solar panel (solar cell) that can be charged by sunlight or indoor lighting. The remote can also be charged with a USB-C cable so consumers have many ways to charge their remote.

“The level of carbon emissions from the SolarCell Remote, from production to disposal, is roughly one-third of that of the manufacturing of disposable batteries^[1],” said JongKeun Lee from H/W Platform Lab. “By eliminating the need for disposable batteries, not only are fewer resources consumed but carbon emissions are lowered by manufacturing fewer batteries over time.”

Another remarkable feature is its low power consumption. The SolarCell Remote was designed to run on about 10% of the power that typical remote controls use. “Samsung made significant progress by drastically eliminating unnecessary outputs and operations, contributing to great energy savings,” Lee added.

The SolarCell Remote Recycles More Than 55 Tonnes of Waste

Twenty-four percent of the plastics used in the SolarCell Remote come from recycled materials. This means more than 55 tonnes of waste are recycled for the annual production of 10 million SolarCell Remotes. This equates to about an 18% decrease in carbon emissions compared to production using conventional materials.

This was no simple undertaking. It takes time and effort to develop and apply alternative materials made from recycled waste in a meaningful way.

“With growing concerns about ocean waste, we looked carefully into many solutions. We chose to use recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets for 20% of brackets of the 2023 SolarCell Remote,” said HyunJoo Kim from Mecha Solution Lab. “Going forward, we aim to foster the use of these resources and utilize recycled plastics more aggressively.”

“This year, we started using recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets. While they are costly and difficult to process, the end result is a higher quality of materials which contribute to our mission of everyday sustainability,” Kim added. “The process is quite extensive, from sorting out the waste to cleaning, removing toxic substances and improving material properties.”

In recognition of this product’s environmentally friendly design, Time Magazine selected the SolarCell Remote as one of Time Magazine’s “The Best Inventions of 2022.”

All of Samsung’s 2023 Lifestyle TVs are equipped with the 2023 SolarCell Remote. Samsung’s goal is to integrate more eco-conscious products and processes into a wider range of models across regions and empower consumers to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

In addition, Samsung decreased the size of the SolarCell Remote by 22% in its latest iteration. This means that the remote control uses less plastic while enhancing the product’s usability.

“As the SolarCell Remote became smaller, manufacturing uses less plastic and it became an ideal size for consumers’ hands, making it a better product all around,” Lee explained.

Pursuing an Eco-Conscious Strategy With a Streamlined Approach

So, what are Samsung’s next steps to enhance sustainability of the SolarCell Remote?

“We are continuing to move in the direction of light, thin and small to keep the use of plastic low,” Kim said.

“We are dedicated to creating a user-friendly remote control that consumes fewer resources and less energy,” Lee said. “Samsung’s ultimate goal is to empower users to control products with minimal effort while reducing the use of materials and energy. This could mean one day we get rid of the remote control entirely. The SolarCell Remote is a bold step in the direction of everyday sustainability and we can’t wait to show everyone what’s next.”

The ambitious journey of the SolarCell Remote to contribute to a more eco-conscious lifestyle is just beginning.

^{[1] Considering most TVs are used for 7 years and an AA battery for their remote controls are replaced once in a year, the number of discarded batteries for a TV will be 14 every seven years. This means charging and using SolarCell Remote for seven years reduces carbon emissions by one third compared to using AA batteries.}

More than ever, sustainability is at the forefront of conversations and actions by governments, organizations, and consumers alike. Without a doubt, addressing the ongoing climate crisis and establishing a circular economy are among some of the biggest, most pressing challenges of our time.

At Samsung Electronics, we are taking active steps to make a difference to environmental sustainability today and for future generations. With the unique size and complexity of our business, we believe that our size and scale means that our ongoing investments in environmental health have an opportunity to make significant impact.

Hence in September 2022, we announced our new global environmental strategy to tackle climate change holistically as an organization.

Focusing on outcomes and as a careful reflection of the complexity of our business, our new approach to the environment encompasses everything from commitments to achieving enterprise-wide net zero emissions by 2050, expanding use of renewable energy, and strategic investments in new sustainable technologies, to create a better, healthier planet for all.

This new strategy builds on Samsung Electronics’ existing efforts around climate change, significantly expanding the scope of both programs and investments to come. A helpful summary can be found in the infographic here.

Samsung Electronics has also joined the RE100, a global corporate renewable energy initiative, and plans to run all operations outside of Korea as well as the Device eXperience (DX) Division on renewable energy within five years. Here in Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEAO), we are on track to achieve the goal for matching electricity use with renewable energy by 2027.

Under the new strategy, we are planning to enhance resource circularity of our electronics products across the entire product lifecycle. The Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 have already been designed to incorporate plastics recycled from discarded fishing nets, and we plan to expand this to more products. We will also implement low-power technologies in major models of seven consumer electronics products – smartphones, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, TVs, monitors and PCs – to reduce energy consumption.

Additionally, we are planning to expand the scope of our e-waste collection system from around 50 countries today to more than 180 countries by 2030. At the same time, we plan to collect a cumulative 10 million tons of electronic waste between 2009 and 2030, one of the highest targets industry-wide.

Sustainability involves everyone

This is an all-hands-on-deck effort that cuts across the entire business, including right here for us in SEAO.

Eco-conscious practices have been put in place at our Samsung Services Centers across the region, with the integrated global customer service system implemented at most of the Samsung Service Centers in the region as we make strides towards going paper-free. Customer documents relating to product repairs, service records, and receipts are now shared electronically via message or email.

In addition, customers in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are now receiving the mobile phones they have sent in for services and repairs packed in eco-friendly materials. For example in Australia, customers can expect an eco-friendly packaging made from 96% recyclable materials that can be repurposed into a mobile and table stand.

Reducing E-waste

E-waste ‘Eco Boxes’ are also available in over 180 Samsung Service Centers in SEAO currently, such as major cities like Auckland, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Sydney, allowing customers to conveniently dispose of their old mobile phones and recycle them in a proper way.

To reduce e-waste, customers can also choose to replace only the defective parts of their product instead of replacing assembly modules through Eco Repair.

In New Zealand, we partnered with technology recycling firm Computer Recycling to reuse the gold, silver, and other metal components in discarded devices and appliances such as smartphones, TVs and refrigerators. These include old electronics collected from Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific islands such as Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti, which are then sent for recycling in Auckland. The initiative has been well received and Samsung New Zealand is currently looking to bolster recycling capacities over the next two years.

In Singapore, we launched the ‘Go Green, Go Galaxy’ campaign in September, offering additional discounts off the purchase of Samsung Galaxy Watch5 series devices and the Galaxy Buds2 Pro for consumers who chose to recycle their old smartwatch and old wireless earbuds at our in-store e-waste bins.  Our e-waste operator partner, Alba, collected these old devices for proper treatment and recycling, channeling back the raw materials recovered from these products into production where appropriate.

Continued public education on the importance of sustainability is critical for the future – especially among the youths in our region. We do this through our regular youth outreach efforts, including Solve for Tomorrow, our annual student competition focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) skills.

Many innovative creations surrounding sustainability have emerged from Solve for Tomorrow. For instance, the Team Eco Warriors student team from Hanoi, Vietnam (pictured below) won the High School Category for Solve for Tomorrow last year. Their original mask-recycling machine seeks to mitigate waste created from the widespread use of face masks during the pandemic by melting and remoulding plastic masks into plastic pots.

Taking action to create a better planet for all

At Samsung, we take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously. While we recognize that one company’s strategy will not be a solve-all solution, Samsung is making this bold bet to ensure it plays an active role in the protection of the planet for our younger and future generations.

In the upcoming year, we can look forward to seeing real, tangible changes to our operations as we roll-out our bold environmental actions and targets across markets in the region. Working with our employees, customers, and industry and government partners, we are optimistic about the changes we are making to enable a better world and to make sustainability a part of our consumers’ everyday lives here in Southeast Asia and Oceania and beyond.

Samsung’s global competition, Solve for Tomorrow, is back with for its sixth edition in Singapore. Themed ‘Be the Change, Shape the Future’, starting from 5th October 2022 until 20th November 2022, the competition is open to all Singapore full-time students, aged 16 and above.

Aligned with Samsung’s global vision for CSR efforts – ‘Enabling People’, the competition aims to encourage students to think deeply about the social issues affecting their community and act on it.

The competition is held in support of the Digital for Life movement, launched by President Halimah Yacob in February 2021, and managed by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Solve for Tomorrow 2022 aims to galvanise Singapore’s next generation of leaders to innovate and use technology for good to build a better and more inclusive society. It aligns with the Digital for Life movement in the mission of empowering youths to be more active in addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges.

“Whether you are a dreamer, problem-solver, or inventor, this is the platform where we enable young people to bring to life their dreams and aspirations for the future. The competition allows youths to express their creativity and passion, which will improve the lives around them,” said Mark Kim, President, Samsung Electronics Singapore. He added, “This is the platform that will enable them to apply their knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines – including critical and design thinking, marketing and communications skills, technological expertise and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) knowledge”.

Last year’s winning team, Team Adustio, shares their takeaways – “We are so thankful to Samsung for allowing us to express ourselves through our ideas. We took home more than the prizes. The competition gave us the confidence and experience to pursue our ambition and make an impact on our community,” said Alyssa Cheok. “We would like to encourage all our peers and aspiring changemakers to participate in Solve for Tomorrow 2022. It will definitely broaden your horizon and unleash your potential.”

Addressing Singapore’s Present and Future Challenges

Samsung has identified four broad themes for this year’s competition. Participants can develop their ideas around any one of these themes:

	1.      Environmental Sustainability Sustainability remains a critical challenge today. Our society need bold ideas to address our most pressing environmental issues and build a sustainable future.
	2.      Health & Wellness Technological innovations hold the key to unlock better quality of life, physically and mentally, for Singaporeans. It will also play a vital role in battling pandemics and other health risks in our society.
	3.      Learning & Education Innovation and creative application of technology will play a pivotal role in transforming our youths’ learning journey and prepare them more effectively for the evolving future workplace.
	4.      Singapore’s Digital Future As Singapore continues its digitalisation journey, there are tremendous opportunities for the next generation of innovators to create future solutions that are uniquely Singapore, such as digitalising our hawker culture.

Competition Details

From 5^th October 2022 until 20^th November 2022, students can participate in the competition by forming groups of two to four and submitting their innovative ideas or solutions on the Solve for Tomorrow 2022 website.

There are two categories for Solve for Tomorrow 2022.

• Category 1 – Post-Secondary Level: Full-time students aged 16 years old and above, enrolled in any Junior College, Polytechnic, Institute of Technical Education or the Millennia Institute in Singapore
• Category 2 – University Level: Full-time undergraduate students aged 18 years old and above, enrolled in any of the six publicly-funded autonomous universities in Singapore, namely
  • Nanyang Technological University (NTU);
  • National University of Singapore (NUS);
  • Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT);
  • Singapore Management University (SMU);
  • Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS); and
  • Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Prizes

A total of 20 teams (10 from each category) will be shortlisted. Each of these teams will receive a S$600 cash prize to develop and refine their ideas and/or develop their prototype.

Out of these 20 teams, 10 teams (five from each category) will be selected to present at the finale event in January 2023, where the top three winners from each category will be announced.

• First Prize for Category 1 and Category 2:
  • S$12,000 worth of Samsung products
  • S$5,000 cash prize
• Second Prize for Category 1 and Category 2:
  • S$7,000 worth of Samsung products
  • S$3,000 cash prize
• Third Prize for Category 1 and Category 2:
  • S$4,000 worth of Samsung products
  • S$1,000 cash prize

For more information visit https://www.samsung.com/sg/solvefortomorrow or reach out to the team at samsungsolvefortomorrow@infom.asia.

Starting this year, Samsung will accelerate its push towards creating a sustainable future. In addition, Samsung will maximize resource circulation and develop technologies to aid in reducing pollution and emissions, bringing the vision of a cleaner, more sustainable future closer to fruition.

To learn more about Samsung’s efforts to create a sustainable planet for future generations, check out the infographic below.