Samsung Electronics' Solar Cell Remote Control with Solar Charging Receives US EPA Award

99 Million Disposable Batteries, 14,000 Tons of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Effect

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] Samsung Electronics announced on the 4th that it received awards at the '2021 SMM Awards' hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Samsung Electronics was recognized for enhancing resource efficiency and recycling activities, receiving two awards: the Sustainable Excellence Award for its solar cell remote control and the Gold Tier for its electronic waste collection achievements.

The 'SMM Awards' were established in 2014 to encourage sustainable resource management activities. The awards are divided into three categories: the Sustainable Excellence Award evaluating product resource efficiency, the Tier Award assessing corporate recycling performance, and the Champion Award selecting outstanding eco-friendly products, programs, and new technologies.

Samsung Electronics' TV solar cell remote control, an eco-friendly remote that can be charged by solar or indoor lighting instead of disposable batteries, was selected for the newly established Sustainable Excellence Award. Samsung reduced the power consumption of the solar cell remote by approximately 86% compared to conventional remotes and applied recycled plastic containing more than 24% recycled materials to its exterior.

Assuming a TV usage cycle of 7 years, the solar cell remote applied to the 2021 Samsung QLED TV can save about 99 million disposable batteries compared to conventional remotes. Additionally, the effects of solar charging and recycled plastic application correspond to a reduction of approximately 14,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

Based on its electronic waste collection and recycling achievements, Samsung Electronics was selected as a Gold Tier company, the highest grade in the Tier Award category, for the eighth consecutive year. Samsung collected a total of 40,040 tons of electronic waste in the U.S. in 2020 through optimized resource management by region, including outsourcing to specialized companies and in-house collection.

Samsung partners with recycling companies certified with third-party electronic waste recycling certifications such as 'e-Stewards' and 'R2' in the U.S. Since 2020, it has provided free collection services through Ubreakifix, an IT device repair specialist, enabling customers to easily return mobile devices.

Kim Hyung-nam, Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics Global CS Center, stated, "Samsung Electronics is striving to minimize environmental impact from product development to disposal," adding, "We will further strengthen efforts to expand waste product collection and recycling for a circular economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.