Samsung Electronics announced on February 7 the launch of a new “Customer Participation Mobile Phone Collection Program.” (Photo: a screenshot from Samsung Electronics Newsroom)
SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Electronics announced on February 7 the launch of a new “Customer Participation Mobile Phone Collection Program,” developed in collaboration with Gyeonggi Province, CJ Logistics, and the non-profit organization E-Cycle Governance, aimed at promoting recycling and environmental sustainability.
Under this program, consumers can easily recycle their old mobile phones. After wiping their devices, users can request a collection pouch via the Samsung Electronics website. A courier will then pick up the discarded phones directly from their homes.
Participants also have the option to receive a donation receipt and can earn Carbon Neutral Points provided by the Korea Environment Corporation, incentivizing the recycling process further.
The collected phones undergo a process of shredding and crushing by E-Cycle Governance, after which they are sent to resource extraction specialists to be transformed into recycled materials. These materials are then repurposed for various products, contributing to a circular economy.
According to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, an estimated 5.3 billion mobile phones were discarded or abandoned worldwide in 2022 alone. Discarded phones not only contain hazardous substances that can harm the environment if improperly disposed of but also valuable and scarce metals such as gold, silver, copper, lithium, and cobalt.
Samsung emphasizes the importance of safely collecting and processing these devices to reduce the use of new resources and minimize environmental impact.
The “Customer Participation Mobile Phone Collection Program” originated from an idea selected as the top project at Samsung Electronics’ employee forum at the end of 2022.
The initiative addresses the inconvenience faced by consumers under previous recycling systems, which required them to personally ship their devices for recycling.
In a statement, Samsung Electronics stated that it is committed to building a user-friendly resource circulation system that allows electronic waste to be recycled into new resources, demonstrating the company’s ongoing efforts towards sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
