JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 18 June 2021 – These days we all have smartphones and other electronic devices we no longer use because they’re outdated or broken. Unfortunately, more often than not, these devices and its components can end up in trash and landfills. In fact, more than 50 million tons1 of electronics are thrown away each year and a mere 17 percent is eventually recycled. In keeping with its mission to reimagine a better planet, Samsung is committed to ensuring that more devices are responsibly recycled.

Driven by a desire to keep our planet clean for generations to come, Samsung regularly engages in eco-conscious 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 product lifespans and spearheading efforts to recycle their resources. This is essential as most ‘e-waste’ ends up polluting the environment by sitting in landfills or being incinerated. With annual e-waste expected to reach as much as 74 million tons by 2030, it is undeniably the time to take steps to reduce consumption and minimise waste. Repairing old devices, on the other hand, saves energy and finite resources that would otherwise be consumed in the manufacturing of new products, which carries considerable negative impacts on the environment. The reality is that a disproportionate negative impact to the environment comes from smartphones, as they have a relatively short average useful lifespan of only two years. This is why Samsung has designed initiatives aimed at alleviating the impact on the environment.

Samsung South Africa has implemented a popular trade-in programme that makes a difference. You can trade-in over 6 000 Samsung and non-Samsung eligible devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets and many more and it would be responsibly disposed off. Additionaly Samsung repair or replacement process, is designed as such that electronic components and products are collected, checked, recorded and stored at Samsung warehouses. Identified e-waste is pre scrapped to ensure no unauthorized reuse in substandard repairs and irresponsible disposal thereof. Waste is collated on a weekly or monthly basis. Hereafter, Samsung’s authorised recycling and scrapping partners collect all waste, recycle and dispose of the materials in the prescribed and governed processes to minimize waste to landfill. Finally, a scrapping certificate is issued by the partner as guarantee that material is responsibly disposed of.

“It is an essential part of Samsung’s mission to put the environment first in all business operations, with several long-term sustainability programmes that include sustainable packaging design and the reduction of carbon footprints through the use of recycled materials. Critically, the positive impact on the environment will result in lasting change that benefits all South Africans. The fact is, all positive changes start with the determination to reimagine old ways and to do what’s right for all. We’re reimagining environmental sustainability into everything we do from packaging to product design, energy consumption to recycling,” says Hlubi Shivanda, Director: Business Innovation Group and Corporate Affairs at Samsung South Africa.

Additionally, Samsung has a long-term vision for conserving the country’s natural resources, while at the same time playing a role in job creation. As part of Samsung’s R280-million Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP), under the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment that was launched in 2019, Samsung, in collaboration with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), embarked on an initiative to provide opportunities for Black Industrialists in the recycling sector. Through this initiative, Samsung has become an integral partner in the creation and support of black-owned businesses that can manage and impact Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment.

Samsung believes in a better, greener tomorrow and that all things can be repaired, recycled, upcycled and renewed. Now is the time where technology and innovation can be used to solve environmental problems, not add to them. Together, we can create a greener Galaxy.

^{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).}

This is why the company is this June launching a month-long celebration of sustainability initiatives, programs, and innovations to celebrate World Environment Day, a global day of sustainability awareness created by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that sees participation from people all around the world.

In order to encourage people to embrace creative and sustainable solutions for World Environment Day this year, Samsung is kicking off its month of sustainable celebration with the launch of Small World, a make-it-yourself cardboard collection to give packaging a second life developed in collaboration with artist Papersmith.

Putting a New Spin on Cardboard Packaging

Since 2020, Samsung has been expanding its revolutionary Eco-packaging solution that lets you upcycle your TV product packaging into helpful home décor items. Inspired by this program’s easy-to-use dot matrix design as a fun and simple way to encourage users to act sustainably, Samsung is commencing its month of eco-conscious activity with Small World, a program that provides users with even more creative ways of re-using cardboard boxes.

In order to bring the Small World program to life, Samsung collaborated with renowned Amsterdam-based paper artist AJ Smith, known as Papersmith, to create an astonishing art piece featuring buildings, animals, and plants built from the product packaging of Samsung TVs, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Buds Pro – and more – alone. What’s more, people around the world, too, can get involved at home through twelve downloadable prints of some of the characters featured in Small World. Along with this do-it-yourself cardboard template collection, users can then share their creations online using the hashtag #ReimagineABetterPlanet.

Towards a Better World for All

This June, Samsung is also going to highlight its existing range of programs, initiatives, and products that support environmental sustainability across the company’s social media channels and website, including the Galaxy Upcycling and Galaxy Upcycling at Home programs that encourage the repurposing of older smartphones into IoT devices and the company’s industry-leading energy-efficient memory chips that enable smarter power consumption from the inside out.