Creating Art from Discarded Packaging... Samsung Electronics Leads Eco-Friendly Initiatives

Campaign Throughout June for World Environment Day
Global Corporations and All Business Divisions Participate

Photo by Samsung Electronics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Samsung Electronics announced on the 5th, in celebration of World Environment Day, that throughout June, its global subsidiaries and all business divisions will participate in eco-friendly activities.

This campaign, embodying the commitment and efforts to create a better future and planet through innovative technologies and services, will be delivered to global consumers via the Samsung Electronics homepage as well as social media channels.

Encouraging Resource Circulation through Collaboration with Eco-friendly Artists

Samsung Electronics will first collaborate with paper artist A.J Smith, who is active in Europe, to showcase artworks using eco-packaging. A.J Smith conducted the 'Small World' project, which depicts everyday scenes where cities, buildings, plants, and animals coexist harmoniously, using paper packaging materials. Packaging that was discarded after product installation is reborn as artwork through the artist’s imagination.

Consumers are also provided with ways to participate in resource circulation using Samsung Electronics’ eco-friendly products. Samsung Electronics is hosting the '2021 Eco-Packaging Challenge' for consumers until July 31. Participants create artworks using eco-packaging, upload them on their social media with the required tags, and then register their participation on Samsung.com.

Samsung Electronics employees will also join the eco-friendly campaign. On the internal idea-sharing platform 'MOSAIC,' an eco-friendly product and service idea contest will be held for 10 days starting from the 9th. Any domestic employee with innovative eco-friendly ideas using Samsung Electronics products, services, or packaging can participate in the contest.

A relay campaign introducing eco-friendly stories from all global subsidiaries and business divisions on the Samsung Electronics homepage and social media will also be conducted. Samsung Electronics stated, "We plan to sincerely promote our eco-friendly efforts such as Galaxy Upcycling, TV eco-packaging, Bespoke products, and semiconductor carbon reduction chips."

Photo by Samsung Electronics

Minimizing Environmental Impact from Development to Disposal

Samsung Electronics is engaged in activities to minimize environmental impact throughout the entire product lifecycle, from development to disposal. According to Kim Hyung-nam, Executive Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics Global CS Center, who introduced this through Samsung Electronics’ domestic and international newsroom on the day, a representative example is the establishment of a company-wide Eco Council and business division working groups in 2008 to promote eco-friendly product development. In the manufacturing stage, the use of renewable energy such as solar and geothermal within workplaces is being expanded, and the reuse rates of water and waste are being increased. Last year, all power used in business sites in the U.S., Europe, and China was replaced with 100% renewable energy.

In the distribution stage, to reduce environmental pollution caused by packaging waste, plastic and vinyl packaging materials are being replaced with paper or recycled and bio-based materials. In the product usage stage, energy-efficient products reduce consumers’ electricity consumption, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

At the product disposal stage, Samsung Electronics established the Asan Recycling Center in 1998, creating the first home appliance recycling system in Korea. Currently, recycling and collection programs for end-of-life products operate in 55 countries worldwide. For example, in the U.S., Samsung partners with IT device repair shops to provide collection services at over 500 stores, allowing customers to easily return their end-of-life mobile devices.

Additionally, last year, Samsung introduced 'Eco-Packaging,' which uses TV packaging boxes designed so that pet supplies and small furniture can be easily made. Recently, the 'Galaxy Upcycling at Home' beta service, which allows unused old Galaxy smartphones to be repurposed as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, was launched in Korea, the U.S., and the U.K.