Circular Economy

We at Samsung
Electronics are
collaborating with
customers and
partner
companies to improve the resource circularity.

Longer life for the product
Even longer life for the material used
in the product.

We aim to manage resources more sustainably by using
recycled materials and researching methods to extract and
re-use resources from e-waste.

We strive for a circular
economy by utilizing
recycled
materials and
extracting resources
from e-waste.

Our approach to a
circular economy

Using recycled materials: Use recycled plastic for all plastic parts*
in DX products by 2050; Extract raw materials from waste, use recycled materials and recycled packaging materials; * Plastic parts developed by SamsungLearn more

Extending product life: Improve durability, repairability and
support upgrades; Use products for a longer period of
timeLearn more

Collecting and recycling e-waste: Operate an e-waste collection system
in all global sales countries by 2030
and work towards collecting 10
million tonnes
(accumulated); Categorize waste products by material
to recycle as a resourceLearn more

Using Recycled
Materials

E-waste, born again with
technology

Recycled materials roadmap

1) Ratio of recycled content varies by plastic parts
2) Recycled plastic ratio based on the weight of parts
3) Plastic parts developed by Samsung

* Image is for illustrative purposes only. Does not represent material applied to the actual product.

Our products give a
new
life to materials

We strive to use recycled materials
in our products.

We are constantly looking for ways to minimize our impact on the land and sea. By focusing on plastic waste as one of the biggest threats to the marine environment, we have developed technology to recycle discarded fishing nets and are continuing our efforts to improve circularity by recycling resources.

In addition to the recycled glass¹⁾ and aluminum²⁾ used in previous models, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series introduced in 2024 incorporates new recycled materials such as recycled cobalt³⁾, rare earth elements⁴⁾, steel⁵⁾, and TPU⁶⁾ for the first time in a Samsung Galaxy device.

Additionally, we have continued to expand the use of recycled materials. The graphite⁷⁾ sheet of the 2024 Neo QLED 8K TV product, used for internal heat dissipation, has been applied with a recycled graphite material extracted from end-of-life batteries.

On average, the front and rear glass are made from 25% recycled materials
The S24 Ultra contains 30% aluminum inside the case front and rear camera deco, while the S24 and S24+ contain 30% in the rear camera deco
The Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24+ batteries contain a minimum of 50% recycled cobalt, while the Galaxy S24 battery contains a minimum of 10%
The speakers of all Galaxy S24 series include 100% recycled neodymium
The speakers of all Galaxy S24 series include a minimum of 40% recycled steel
The volume key and side key of all Galaxy S24 series contain at least 10% recycled TPU
Five of the six graphite sheets used inside the product are 100% recycled (Based on the product released in 2024)

Increasing the usage of recycled resins in
plastic parts

We are significantly expanding the application of recycled resins in plastic parts used in products — 50% of plastic parts by 2030 and 100% plastic parts (by weight) by 2050.

In 2023, we used 157,939 tonnes of plastics with recycled resin, about 1.6 times more than in 2022.

Plastic usage with recycled resins (base year: 2009)

Unit: 10,000 tonnes
Usage for the current year
Total cumulative usage

3.3

31.0

9.9

40.9

15.8

56.7

3.3

31.0

9.9

40.9

15.8

56.7

How did abandoned
fishing
nets become a
Galaxy?

Learn more

Expanding the scope of
recycled material useLearn more
Our efforts to recycle
by-products from
semiconductor
manufacturingLearn more

Packaging made
from recycled materials

The use of recycled packaging
materials by product category

Extending
Product Life

Get more out of our products

The longer the product
lifespan, the less
resources consumed

We continue to increase the lifespan of our products because longer lifecycles often mean fewer resources consumed and less carbon emitted.

To reduce the environmental impact of our products, we study and apply ways for our customers to use our products longer.

Extend product life

Products pass tests according to international standards
and meet strict internal standards
Improved durability
Fix and recycle

Easy-to-disassemble design
Easy-to-recycle at the end of the product life
Repairability
Upgrade

Extended support period for software
upgrades
Modular design so users can use
products that are
tailored to their needs for
longer period of time
Upgradability
Refurbish

Offers customers refurbished and upgraded
smartphones with warranty
Samsung CRN Program

Collecting and
Recycling E-waste

Bringing new life
to EOL(End Of Life) products

E-waste collection and
recycling roadmap

* Cumulative from 2009

Not just thrown away
but repurposed

When we switch to a new product, where does the used product end up?

If you think about it, products made from various raw materials are a complex mix of resources. Our e-waste product collection and recycling process allow for e-waste to become ingredients for new products.

Expanding the e-waste collection system

From 2009 to 2023, we collected 6.3 million tonnes of waste electronics worldwide through e-waste collection system operated in over 70 countries.

By 2030, we plan to expand the e-waste collection system to more than 180 countries where our products are sold with the plan to collect 10 million tonnes. Furthermore, we also plan to collect 25 million tonnes of e-waste by 2050.

Cumulative recovery of e-waste (base year: 2009)

Unit: 10,000 tonnes
Collected amount (current year)
Cumulative collected amount

55.9

509.9

569.8

59.9

629.7

55.9

509.9

569.8

59.9

629.7

Collect e-waste Total of 5.07 million tonnes from 2009 to 2021, Extract valuable resources Cooper, aluminum, iron, plastic and other minerals, through pre-processing, such as screening and crushing, Recycle extracted resources Used for manufacturing new parts and products

Click a region to see a detailed list of country/region.

Recycling Programs by Country/Region

E- Waste recovery and recycling programs

Korea E-waste recovery and
recycling program in Korea Learn more
U.S. E-waste recovery and
recycling program in the U.S. Learn more
EU, Asia, and Africa E- Waste recovery and recycling
programs in EU, Asia, and Africa Learn more