Samsung is trying to do its part in cleaning up the ungodly amounts of plastic floating around in our oceans. The company says it’s developed a new material made by repurposing abandoned fishing nets that wind up polluting the ocean, and is planning to use said material for its Galaxy devices from here on out.
Samsung should be commended for developing a clever solution to reducing its need for new plastic, but we’re pretty far from cleaning up the 14 million tons of plastic that gets introduced into the ocean every year. At least other companies have also stepped up to the plate in trying to address the ongoing climate crisis and the deteriorating health of the ocean.
Adidas said last year that it’s planning to eliminate all plastic waste and more, committing to only use recycled polyester in 100 percent of its products by 2024. Lego has also joined the cause and is phasing out its single-use plastic bags, planning to use only sustainable packaging by 2025. Other companies, well, not so much.
New phone, reused plastic —
As for Samsung, the company will be incorporating the repurposed plastics derived from abandoned fishing nets into its entire product lineup, including its latest Galaxy devices that have yet to be revealed. Samsung has already brought back plastic design with its Galaxy S21, but now we’ll get an even more sustainable version of it.
Samsung says collecting and repurposing some of the 640,000 tons of fishing nets that are abandoned into the ocean is an important first step into keeping the oceans clean and preserving the planet. These discard fishing nets are a real threat to every part of the ocean since it traps marine life, damages natural habitats and can even end up in our food and water sources.
The decision to use repurposed plastic material is part of Samsung’s ongoing effort to minimize the company’s environmental footprint and make a more sustainable lifecycle for its Galaxy devices. The initiative, called Galaxy for the Planet, has several sustainability goals like incorporating recycled material in all new mobile products, eliminating all plastics in mobile packaging, and achieving zero waste to landfills, all by 2025.
A more sustainable future —
Samsung has definitely got more in store for its sustainability efforts beyond the repurposed fishing nets. At Samsung’s Unpacked event on February 9 the company is poised to unveil new Galaxy devices and likely more info about its sustainability efforts and vision.
