Not Just Making New Products... LG Electronics Recovers 1 Million Tons of E-Waste Over 3 Years

LG Electronics Accelerates ESG Management
Aiming to Achieve 2030 Carbon Neutrality Vision

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LG Electronics' ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management is accelerating. This is to achieve the 'Carbon Neutral 2030' vision, which aims to practice carbon neutrality by 2030. The company is putting all its efforts into building a so-called decarbonized ecosystem throughout the entire product lifecycle, from production to collection.

According to LG Electronics' business report disclosed on the 17th, the amount of waste electronics collected and processed worldwide through the waste electronics collection and processing program exceeded 1 million tons over three years from 2018 to 2020. In particular, in 2020, 410,000 tons were collected, which is about a 42% increase compared to 250,000 tons in 2018.

LG Electronics is also continuously expanding the countries and regions where it provides waste electronics collection and processing services. As of 2019, services were provided in 52 countries and 87 regions, which is an increase of one country and two regions compared to the previous year. For newly added regions, the company analyzes regulations and prepares response plans through exchanges of opinions with the governments and industry organizations of the target countries. Domestically, waste electronics are collected and processed in an eco-friendly manner at recycling centers nationwide. In particular, LG Electronics faithfully fulfills the recycling obligations of waste electronic products in accordance with the Resource Circulation Act.

LG Electronics was recognized for these achievements by receiving the 'Gold Tier' award in the 'Tier' category at the '2021 SMM Awards' hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acknowledging its eco-friendly competitiveness. The company explained that the active waste electronics collection activities and the entire process of delivering them to certified recycling companies had a positive environmental impact, which was highly evaluated.

In particular, LG Electronics is contributing to environmental conservation and the establishment of a resource-circulating society. It provides waste electronics collection and processing services optimized for the characteristics and requirements of regulatory regions and conducts research and development to improve recyclability from the product design stage.

Furthermore, in line with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, LG Electronics is actively working to reduce carbon emissions from the product manufacturing stage. According to the business report, the greenhouse gas emissions from domestic and overseas business sites last year amounted to 814,734 tCO2e (tons of CO2 equivalent), a 50% reduction compared to 2017. The greenhouse gas emissions from LG Electronics' business sites have been decreasing for four consecutive years.

The company is also striving to reduce emissions through various activities such as expanding greenhouse gas reduction devices at business sites and introducing high-efficiency energy equipment. LG Electronics holds four green technology certifications for home appliances, TVs, and monitors under the government's 'Green Technology Certification' system. This certification system is awarded based on assessments of greenhouse gas reduction and energy use efficiency.

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