Science and technology have made our lives easier and more convenient thanks to the addition of various innovative products and services into our daily routines. But the downside of these additions has been the development of serious global environmental challenges including climate change and resource depletion – issues that threaten the future of our world.

In order to help mitigate these issues, Samsung Electronics strives to incorporate environmental sustainability into everything we do. Let’s take a look at how Samsung’s eco-conscious product innovation and consumer engagement come together to help us all achieve a sustainable future.

SVP Hyeongnam Kim, Head of Global CS Centre, Samsung Electronics

Minimising the Environmental Impact of a Product’s Entire Life Cycle

Based on the principle of product stewardship, our products are thoughtfully designed to minimise their impact on the environment. Samsung is deeply engaged in activities to minimise the environmental impact of its products throughout their entire lifecycle – from development and manufacturing to distribution and usage through to after-sales service and recycling.

Firstly, Samsung incorporates environmental considerations into its product development process. To this end, the company has introduced an Eco-Design Process to evaluate its products against eco-conscious standards. In 2008, the company established a company-wide eco-committee and division-level task forces to step up its efforts in developing eco-conscious products. To this day, Samsung is committed to developing innovative, high-performing products that have minimal impact on the environment.

Samsung’s emphasis on sustainability continues into the manufacturing stage. The company has been expanding its usage of renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal heat in its facilities and is also incorporating the use of recycled water and waste. As a representative example, Samsung has also made strides in sustainability by sourcing 100% renewable electricity for all its facilities in the US, Europe and China last year. What’s more, Samsung plans to expand the usage of renewable energy to the rest of its facilities around the world following the development of local systems and infrastructure in each region.

Moving on to the distribution stage, Samsung has replaced its plastic and shrink wrap with packaging made of renewable biomaterials in order to reduce packaging waste. The company also now ensures its paper suppliers hold a Forest Stewardship certification, and following these efforts, managed to completely replace all the paper used in the manuals and packaging for its mobile and consumer electronics products by the end of 2020.

Samsung helps users decrease their electricity consumption by providing them with energy-efficient products – thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the company is making continuous efforts towards developing durable products and a quick and easy repair process, since if consumers use their products for longer, they are then making a difference by reducing their environmental impact.

Going through to the final stage of a product’s lifecycle; disposal, Samsung is continuing to pioneer its waste collection and recycling programs around the globe, currently operating in 55 different countries. The company is currently planning to expand its closed-loop recycling system in order to recover and reuse more iron, copper and plastics from e-waste.

Reducing 301 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gas through Initiative and Innovation

Thanks to its product stewardship practices, Samsung has reduced the average energy consumption per unit of a product by 32%^[1], equivalent to the cumulative reduction of 301 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the past 12 years since 2009. The company has also recycled over 4.54 million tons of e-waste through its global e-waste collection sites from 2009 to 2020.

To encourage customers to use their products for longer as part of a circular economy, Samsung has established a quick and easy repair process for users, through which the company supplies product repair information and parts to contracted repair shops as well as independent repair stores.

Upholding User Values through Eco-Conscious Upcycling

Going beyond employing eco-conscious practices solely in the development of its products, Samsung has been making various efforts to reduce the use of resources across all of its supply lines in order to promote more sustainable consumption.

Last year, Samsung introduced its revolutionary Eco-Packaging for its TV products. To encourage upcycling and creativity, the cardboard boxes can be built into toys or small pieces of furniture using their discarded packaging.

In addition, Samsung has also recently launched its Galaxy Upcycling at Home program, which enables users to harness their unused Galaxy smartphones as IoT devices, in Korea, the US and UK. The program also repurposes older smartphones into medical diagnosis cameras, helping to address vision impairment cases that are preventable with proper diagnosis.

We at Samsung are dedicated to creating a sustainable future that provides a better life for all by introducing creative eco-conscious products and solutions across all of our business areas. With a focus on sustainable management, we are putting carbon reduction, resource circulation and ecosystem restoration at the forefront of our efforts to protect the environment.

[1] Figure from 2020 compared with 2008 level of energy consumption.

Driven by a desire to keep our planet clean for generations to come, Samsung Electronics regularly engages in eco-friendly efforts that are helping to establish a circular economy. The company is constantly exploring ways to reduce its products’ impact on the environment, including increasing products’ lifespans and spearheading efforts to recycle their resources.

In celebration of Earth Day 2021 (April 22), this special series will shine a light on Samsung initiatives that are paving the way for a circular economy. Let’s kick things off by taking a closer look at how the company’s recycling campaigns are giving old phones new life.

¹ According to the Global E-waste Monitor 2020 by Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), the amount of electronic waste in 2019 was 53.6 million metric tons (Mt).

“Samsung first introduced the Galaxy Upcycling programme in 2017 as part of our sustainability efforts, to reimagine old Galaxy devices for the home. We’re delighted to be taking this to the next level, and bringing the Galaxy Upcycling at Home beta to the UK” said Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Services and Technology, Samsung UK and Ireland. “Through unique SmartThings connectivity, Galaxy Upcycling at Home encourages people to turn old smartphones into a smart home device, providing new ways to gradually reduce our eco footprint and use their existing tech to add value to everyday life.”

Make Any Home a Smart Home

The Galaxy Upcycling at Home programme provides enhanced sound and light-control features, by repurposing built-in sensors. Users can transform their old devices through SmartThings Labs, a feature within the SmartThings app.

• Using an improved artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Galaxy devices can more accurately distinguish sounds in everyday surroundings, and users can choose to save certain sound recordings. For example, if the device detects sounds such as a baby crying, dog barking, cat meowing, or a knock, it will send an alert directly to the user’s linked up smartphone, allowing them to listen to the recorded sound.
• Devices can also be used as a light sensor to measure the brightness level of the room. Users can easily set the device to automatically turn on the lights or the TV through SmartThings if the room becomes darker than the pre-set level.

For a device to continuously detect sound and light, it needs to be actively operating for long periods of time. For this reason, Samsung equipped the Galaxy Upcycle at Home upgrade with battery optimisation solutions to minimise battery usage. Devices will also be able to connect effortlessly to SmartThings, allowing them to interact with a variety of other Smart Home devices from hundreds of leading brands in the SmartThings ecosystem.

“Smart home devices are a fast-growing trend for consumer electronics, and we believe that Galaxy devices currently not in use can play an important role in turning every home into a smart home,” said Jaeyeon Jung, VP & Head of the SmartThings team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The programme transforms Galaxy devices into SmartThings devices and demonstrates the power of our intelligent IoT platform to broaden the possibilities of what users can do with their old phones. Through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users will have access to the complete SmartThings ecosystem, enabling them to explore broader updates and features without having to purchase a new device.”

Shaping a Sustainable Future with Repurposed Technology

“We created Galaxy Upcycling at Home to enable more people to repurpose their old devices into useful tools, allowing both Samsung and our users to be mindful of the impact we have on the environment,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are rethinking how we use existing resources, and we believe the key to upcycling is to enable solutions that transform old technology into something new by adding value. We are committed to integrating sustainable practices into our day-to-day lives, and through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users can join our journey toward a more sustainable future.”

This innovative solution is part of Samsung’s continued commitment to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global blueprint for the world to achieve a more sustainable and prosperous future for all by 2030 through 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Galaxy Upcycling at Home specifically focuses on Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – encouraging the reduction of waste and promoting sustainable production practices and consumer behaviours.

Samsung is building environmental sustainability into everything we do. This includes taking dedicated action across every stage of the product lifecycle to help the world transition to a circular economy that makes greater use of sustainable materials, extends product longevity and reuses resources. Through programmes like Galaxy Upcycling, Samsung intends to deliver innovative technologies that reshape consumer experiences while empowering them to play a part in sustainable practices.

[1] Galaxy Upcycling at Home feature is available on all S, Note, and Z series devices released from 2018 (S9, Note9 or later), running Android 9 and above. More devices will gradually be updated overtime.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people have a form of vision impairment and almost half of these cases were preventable or have yet to be addressed. There is a large disparity in the prevalence of vision impairment depending on the affordability and availability of eye care services. This is estimated to be four times more common in low- and middle-income regions as compared to high-income regions.^[[i]. 

“People around the globe face barriers to accessing fundamental health care, and we saw an opportunity to engineer smart, innovative solutions that reuse products to drive more sustainable practices and make a positive impact in our communities,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “This program embodies Samsung’s belief that technology can enrich people’s lives and help us build a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”

EYELIKE fundus camera displays at Samsung Developer Conference 201

In 2017, Samsung created the Galaxy Upcycling program to introduce innovative ways that Galaxy devices can make a positive impact. Through the program, an older Galaxy smartphone can become the brain of the EYELIKE^[[ii] handheld fundus camera, which connects to a lens attachment for enhanced fundus diagnosis, while the smartphone is used to capture images.

The Galaxy device then utilises an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze and diagnose the images for ophthalmic diseases, and connects to an app that accurately captures patient data and suggests a treatment regimen at a fraction of the cost of commercial instruments. The unique and affordable diagnosis camera can screen patients for conditions that may lead to blindness, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

“We were looking for an eye health diagnosis solution that was cost-effective to reach as many people as possible, and when we saw the performance of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, we wanted to integrate their upcycling efforts into our research,” said Dr. Sangchul Yoon of Yonsei University Health System. “The combination of using multiple optical technologies and artificial intelligence, coupled with camera performance of a Galaxy smartphone, created an affordable medical device that was just as capable as a fundus camera used by medical professionals. This not only solved a health issue, but a growing environmental concern as well.”

Since 2018, Samsung has partnered with IAPB and Yonsei University Health System to benefit the lives and vision of more than 19,000 residents in Vietnam with its portable retinal camera. In 2019 alone, it supplied 90 portable ophthalmoscopes to health professionals operating in remote regions of the country without access to walk-in clinics. Now, Samsung has expanded the program to India, Morocco and Papua New Guinea. Samsung is also broadening its capabilities to new screening areas, including using upcycled Galaxy devices to create smartphone-based portable colposcopes to screen for cervical cancer and improve women’s accessibility to quality health care.

Patients undergo screening for eye disease in Vietnam (left) and Morocco (right)

Patients undergo screening for eye disease in India (left and right)

“As the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more evident than ever that technology can be deployed as an eye health solution. In the countries where the EYELIKE Platform is trialed, difficult terrain, long distances and remote populations all contribute to the need for technology to help us connect and improve access to care,” said Drew Keys, Western Pacific Region (WPR) Coordinator at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). “IAPB is very pleased that Samsung is working closely with its member organizations to pilot these solutions. Working with Samsung allows our member organizations to deliver technology in pilot countries and build cooperative and constructive relationships in these regions.”

In addition to its commitment to purposeful innovation, Samsung is building environmental sustainability into everything we do. This includes working towards our goal of collecting 7.5 million tons of e-waste and making use of 500,000 tons of recycled plastic by 2030. By transforming Galaxy smartphones into low-cost, portable eye diagnosis equipment, Samsung helps divert e-waste from landfill while providing innovative medical solutions to underserved communities. Additionally, the fundus camera diagnosis equipment is made with 35% recycled content and is designed for easy reuse. It has been recognised by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a Sustainable Materials Management Cutting Edge Champion Award. The Galaxy Upcycling program is part of Samsung’s continued commitment to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Through programs like Galaxy Upcycling, Samsung is not only providing innovative technologies that reshape our experiences with the world, but it is also empowering consumers to play a key role in promoting more environmentally conscious behaviors. 

[1] EYELIKE is cleared by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

[i] Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years: evaluating the prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to “VISION 2020: the Right to Sight”. Lancet Global Health 2020. doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7

[ii] Trademark registered in Vietnam, Korea, Bangladesh and India.

UK, London – January 6, 2021 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. –  Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. shared its vision for the future at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company introduced new products at its virtual press conference, showing how it’s continuing to innovate by creating solutions that are flexible, intelligently connected, and use AI to understand context to make daily life seamless.

“Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new reality – one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater significance,” said Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub of the company that leads the development of future technologies for Samsung Electronics’ SET (end-products), addressing the company’s efforts to enhance the at-home technology experience. “Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive experiences that express your personality. We’re hard at work to bring you next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better tomorrow.”

Creating More Intimate and Personalised User Experiences

As people spent more time at home last year, the tech they wanted became the tech they needed. In relying on that tech, people came to understand many ways connected solutions could make life easier. TVs were vital for entertainment—and sometimes, fitness. Smart fridges helped with remote shopping and meal prep and Smartphones were indispensable.

Samsung’s continued investments in innovations that adapt to evolving lifestyles enable the company to keep pace with rapid changes. Key innovations unveiled include:

• Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex: The latest version of the Bespoke refrigerator available in North America this Spring features changeable panels that come with a choice of colors and materials that made the original a success, allowing consumers to adjust their fridge for form and function. The new 4-Door model also includes a brand-new Beverage Center, which gives quick access to a water dispenser and an automatically-filled water pitcher. The 4-door Bespoke also comes equipped with a Dual Auto Ice Maker which makes not only regular cubed ice but also smaller ‘ice bites’ to suit different preferences for cold beverages.

• 110-inch MICRO LED: This new screen features self-lit inorganic LED with a slim and nearly bezel-less Infinity Screen design that seamlessly blends into the living space. The result is a spectacularly immersive viewing experience with astounding picture quality. The 110-inch MICRO LED also adds “4Vue” (Quad View), a four-way viewing option—so you can keep up with multiple sports at once, or stream a tutorial while playing a video game. MICRO LED will be rolled out globally beginning this spring^[1].

• Lifestyle TV: Samsung’s cutting-edge lifestyle TV lineup includes The Serif, The Frame, The Sero and The Terrace—a recently launched 4K QLED outdoor TV—as well as Samsung The Premiere, a cinema-like quality 4K laser projector.

• SmartThings Cooking: Coming to the United Kingdom later this year, Samsung SmartThings is expanding to make your culinary journey seamless. An automatic Meal Planner powered by Whisk’s Food AI recommends meals for the whole week, makes shopping lists with the ingredients you need, and connects to grocery retailers for one-stop shopping straight from the Family Hub refrigerator or your mobile screen. Recipe instructions can be sent directly to synced Samsung cooking devices to minimise hassles and mistakes^[2].

• Samsung Health Smart Trainer on Samsung 2021 TVs: Samsung Health seamlessly transforms the home into a personal gym, and the new Smart Trainer^[3] feature tracks and analyses posture in real time, just like a personal trainer. During and post-workout, Smart Trainer provides feedback on form, helps you count your reps, and estimates calories burned. With video and interactive training via Bixby-enabled voice control, Samsung Health Smart Trainer elevates and personalises the home workout experience and will be coming to the UK this year.

Bringing AI and Robots to Daily Life including Housekeeping

Samsung has long been at the forefront of AI and robotics innovation, leveraging its seven global AI research centers to advance technology. By bringing AI to its products, Samsung is creating new home experiences—from washing machines that optimise water usage, detergents, and wash cycles, to TVs with a Quantum AI Processor that can upscale HD content into pristine 8K resolution.

The major technologies featured during Samsung’s press conference include the following:

• JetBot 90 AI+: Coming to the US 1H 2021, this new vacuum cleaner uses object recognition technology to identify and classify objects to decide the best cleaning path. LiDAR and 3D sensors allow JetBot 90 AI+ to avoid cables and small objects, while still cleaning hard-to-reach corners in your home. Also outfitted with a camera, JetBot 90 AI+ is integrated with the SmartThings app to assist you with home monitoring.

• Samsung Bot Care^[4]: The latest development in Samsung’s growing robotics lineup, Samsung Bot Care is designed use AI to recognise and respond to your behavior. It will be able to act as both a robotic assistant and companion, helping to take care of the details in your life. It will also learn your schedule and habits and send you reminders to help guide you throughout your busy day.

• Samsung Bot Handy^[5]: Also in development, Samsung Bot Handy will rely on advanced AI to recognise and pick up objects of varying sizes, shapes and weights, becoming an extension of you and helping you with work around the house. Samsung Bot Handy will be able to tell the difference between the material composition of various objects, utilising the appropriate amount of force to grab and move around household items and objects, working as your trusted partner to help with house chores like cleaning up messy rooms or sorting out the dishes after a meal.

Looking to the future, Samsung is also developing other tangible applications of AI technologies for daily life. Samsung is continuing to build on its Samsung Bot Retail, which would guide users outside the home in retail environments, and GEMS, Samsung’s health-focused exoskeleton as mobility aide. These innovations allow robots and robotic devices to co-exist with humans, enhancing their lives and catering to a variety of lifestyles and different environments.

Technology for a Better Future

Samsung closed its CES 2021 press conference by sharing more on the brand’s vision for how technology can enable progress and create a better tomorrow for all. Samsung believes that there is no single all-encompassing solution; a sustainable future requires investments across a broad spectrum. That’s why Samsung is focused on three key areas that are poised to benefit the most from technological innovation: sustainability, education, and accessibility.

“At Samsung, we are always looking for ways to build a better, more sustainable future,” said Sandeep Rana, Senior Manager, Environmental Sustainability Specialist at Samsung, who shared Samsung’s sustainability message at the press conference. “With a focus on the environment, people and society, we will continue to provide our consumers with responsible tools and technologies to address our challenges today and enable a better future for all.”

As part of its commitment to creating a circular economy, Samsung is developing programs and packaging solutions that promote a sustainable product lifecycle—from beginning to end:

• Galaxy Upcycling at Home: At the event, Samsung announced an update to its Galaxy Upcycling program called Galaxy Upcycling at Home. The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools.

• TV Eco Packaging: Additionally, Samsung announced that its eco-packaging would expand to QLED, UHD TV, monitor, and audio products in 2021. As part of an ongoing commitment to eco-consciousness, Samsung is creating products and solutions with sustainability at the core. For example, Samsung’s new Solar Cell Remote Control—made in part with recycled plastic—can be charged via solar or indoor lighting, reducing battery waste.

Believing that future generations will play a critical role in building a sustainable future, Samsung has also prioritised technology education through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, which encourages young people to creatively use technology to solve community challenges, and Samsung Innovation Campus, which helps students develop technical and personal skills for future jobs.

Samsung also highlighted at the event how it is making its products even more inclusive and accessible for all. The SeeColors application is designed to help those with color vision deficiency (CVD) to adjust the settings on their 2021 QLED TVs for a better viewing experience, and the Sign Language Zoom feature on TVs ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, can easily enjoy cutting-edge technology.

Lastly, understanding how challenging it can be to strike a balance between our digital and analog lives, Samsung presented the Digital Wellbeing feature, designed to help people take control and manage their digital time—so they can use technology to better our lives and empower ourselves.

For more information, images or video on the products Samsung announced at CES 2021, please visit http://news.samsung.com.

[1] Availability of MICRO LED TV will vary by region.

[2] Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

[3] Specific features available may vary by region and product.

[4] Samsung Bot Care is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.

[5] Samsung Bot Handy is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.