E-waste collection box installed at the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galápagos. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
PUERTO AYORA, Ecuador, April 29 (Korea Bizwire) — In one of the world’s most ecologically sensitive regions, South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics is drawing attention for its environmentally conscious e-waste recycling initiative in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands.
Samsung’s Latin America division announced Monday that it has been operating a mobile electronics waste collection program on Santa Cruz Island — the most populous area in the Galápagos, home to more than 17,000 of the archipelago’s 28,000 residents, as of late 2022.
Launched on June 5, 2024, to coincide with World Environment Day, the program places dedicated bins for used electronics at five high-traffic locations, including the island’s bus terminal, city hall, and the local telecommunications regulator’s building.
Devices collected on a quarterly basis are transported to a Samsung service center and then sent to certified recycling facilities for safe and sustainable processing.
Developed in collaboration with the Santa Cruz municipal government, the initiative represents the first public-private environmental partnership in the Galápagos — a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its isolated ecosystem and fragile biodiversity.
According to Samsung, the program aligns with local authorities’ strict waste management policies, especially concerning tourist waste, which had long lacked a reliable system for handling end-of-life electronics.
One of the collection bins has been installed at the Charles Darwin Research Station, a key tourist destination that draws approximately 300,000 visitors annually. Each bin is marked with the slogan “Everyday Sustainability”, alongside the logos of Samsung and the Santa Cruz local government.
“For outdated electronics, we used to have to send them back to the mainland for disposal,” said Maria, a local resident visiting the foundation’s exhibition center. “Now, it’s a relief to know they can be handled properly right here, without harming the environment.”
Since 2022, Samsung has been rolling out its mobile e-waste recovery program in over 50 countries, and by 2025 it has expanded operations to more than 80 nations. Building on the positive reception in the Galápagos, the company plans to extend the initiative to nine more Latin American countries, including Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.
“We are committed to preserving Latin America’s unique natural environments — where majestic ecosystems and ancient civilizations coexist — by promoting eco-friendly electronics disposal and a circular economy,” said Jo Hong-sang, Executive Vice President and head of Samsung’s Latin America operations
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
