Samsung Electronics Achieves Carbon Reduction by Producing 'Waste Fishing Net Plastic' Using Galaxy Devices

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Samsung Electronics' 'recycled fishing net plastic' used in Galaxy mobile devices has been found to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 25% compared to general plastics.

On the 21st, Samsung Electronics announced that according to the life cycle assessment by the global safety certification organization UL, producing 1 ton of general plastic generates 4.4 tons of carbon, whereas recycled fishing net plastic reduces carbon emissions to 3.3 tons. Recycling fishing nets alone reduces carbon emissions by about 25% (1.1 tons). The 1.1 tons of carbon corresponds to the amount absorbed by 120 thirty-year-old pine trees in one year.

Samsung Electronics uses materials recycled from discarded fishing nets, known as "ghost nets," in products such as the Galaxy S22, Galaxy Tab S8, and Galaxy Book2 Pro. The discarded fishing nets collected near the Indian Ocean are separated, cut, cleaned, and extruded, then processed into polyamide resin pellets, which are used to manufacture plastic parts for various products. These are applied to the key bracket of the Galaxy S22, the inside of the S Pen cover of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the touchpad holder and bracket interior of the Galaxy Book2 Pro series. Discarded fishing nets disrupt natural ecosystems by threatening marine life and damaging coral reefs and natural habitats, which also affects the supply of food and water resources for humanity.

Samsung Electronics plans to apply recycled materials to all new Galaxy products by 2025 under the slogan "Galaxy for the Earth." They will remove plastic materials from product packaging and eliminate standby power consumption in smartphone chargers. They also aim to increase the recycling rate of waste generated at smartphone production plants worldwide and pursue zero landfill waste.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of "Earth Day," Samsung Electronics, together with 11 affiliates, will conduct a waste mobile phone collection campaign at 39 domestic business sites. Regardless of manufacturer, all mobile phones, chargers, and batteries will be collected, shredded, and smelted to recover and recycle key resources such as gold, silver, and copper. The proceeds will be used for donation programs supporting vulnerable groups through the Korea Electronics Resource Circulation Cooperative. Samsung Electronics has collected about 56,000 waste mobile phones from 2015 to last year.

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