Corporate
Samsung: Leading the Way Toward Sustainable Innovation
4/7/2016
Samsung has a long-standing commitment to addressing tomorrow’s environmental challenges by developing cutting-edge products that enhance the way people interact with the world around them. Having environmental performance as a key operational pillar of our product development process is just part of being a responsible corporate citizen which is at the heart of everything we do.
As an enduring partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program, which challenges the industry to develop technologies with a smaller carbon footprint, Samsung has consistently been recognized since 2009 for our leadership in driving eco-innovations. Our most recent honor, the EPA’s annual ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, marks the fourth consecutive time Samsung has received this award. 2016 also makes the third straight year we have been awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Climate Communications Award for empowering Americans to be part of the solution to climate change with their purchasing decisions.
To add to this year’s list of accolades, we received the 2016 Design for Recycling® (DFR) Award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) for our work on the world’s first TV made with polyketone,1 a plastic made from converting carbon monoxide, a greenhouse gas that is a building block of traditional plastic, into a more resilient, wear-resistant TV.2 The product will launch later this year.
Samsung also made its way onto the EPA’s 2016 Green Power Partner list for Top 30 Tech and Telecom companies recognized for significant renewable energy investments. This is an area we’ve been dedicated to for many years, as recognized by the EPA when they awarded us the Sustainable Materials Management Tier Award – Gold Level for leadership in e-waste collection. We won the award in 2016 for diverting 224 tons of end-of-life electronics from landfills. This has the CO2 avoidance equivalent of taking more than 112,000 cars off the road. In addition to this honor, the EPA has also recognized the Samsung Galaxy S6 phone with the Champion Award for Sustainable Materials for its many sustainable attributes such as it being 99 percent recyclable with improved battery life.3
Four additional products also received the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies Award from the Consumer Technology Association last year—the most of any manufacturer.
Our latest devices, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, also serve as testaments to Samsung’s continued focus on minimizing our carbon footprint. Featuring an increase of 86 percent charging efficiency over the Galaxy S6, and a charger comprised of 20 percent recycled plastics, our new products illustrate the evolution of our sustainable practices.
And last but not least, we not only make our tech more sustainable, but we also invest in helping foster environmental stewards through programs such as the Climate Superstar Challenge. Developed with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, this program reached 1,038 children in 190 cities in 2014, teaching kids to be responsible environmental stewards through activities such as planting trees, saving water, and other actions they can take to help protect the environment.
Our concerns run deeper than the bottom line. We take an active role in preserving the planet for future generations. We make it our mission to embody sustainability and hope to play a vital role imbuing sustainability in the communities where we live, work and play.
1Letter from the Environmental Protection Agency
2Samsung ISRI Design for Recycling award application
3When compared to TVs ABS and PC plastics.
Samsung Recognized as a Nationwide Leader in Giving Back to Communities Across the U.S.