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.}

In addition to sustainable packaging, Samsung also looked inwards for ways to incorporate recycled materials into its devices. The Galaxy A series 5G smartphones² use recycled post-consumer materials (PCM) for the side buttons and SIM card trays, while recycled discarded fishing nets made up 20% of the inner cover of the S Pen and the key bracket of the Galaxy S22 series.

Furthermore, every new Galaxy S22 series 5G smartphone case is now designed with UL-certified, eco-conscious materials such as recycled post-consumer plastics or bio-based substances.

Having devised the formula for polyamide resins that match Samsung’s high-quality standards for smartphone technology, Samsung is committed to evolving and expanding its use of ocean-bound plastics across all its products. By the end of 2022, Samsung’s use of recycled ocean-bound material could prevent more than 50 tons of discarded fishing nets³ from entering the world’s oceans.

Samsung also announced at CES that it will also increase the amount of recycled plastic used in its home appliances to include both interior components and exterior elements. One such innovation resulting from Samsung’s sustainability efforts is a new type of polypropylene recycled plastic for Samsung’s washing machine tubs. From discarded items such as used lunch boxes and facial mask straps, Samsung created a new type of recycled resin that is more resistant to external shocks, which extends the lifespan of the material used in these parts.

3) Rethink Energy Usage

Sustainability also extends to the ways that users experience Samsung products, which can empower people to reduce their carbon footprint.

Over in the laundry room, Samsung’s flagship QuickDrive washing machine uses advanced QuickDrive technology to let you wash clothes more effectively with up to 50% faster wash time and 20% energy savings⁴. Additionally, AI Wash uses the four built-in sensors to determine the optimal amount of water and detergent for your load, letting you save on utility bills and help the environment at the same time.

The first-of-its-kind SolarCell Remote, which is included in new Samsung TVs and home appliances, aims to eliminate more than 200 million batteries from landfills⁵ with a built-in solar panel that can be recharged through indoor or outdoor lighting. Notable enhancements made since its inception include getting electricity from radio frequencies emitted by nearby devices like Wi-Fi routers⁶.

Samsung has its sights on even greater heights: By 2025, Samsung plans to make all its TVs and phone chargers operate on near-zero standby power. This means the products will consume almost no energy when not being used.

¹ Select Galaxy A devices launched in 2022 and more to come.