Samsung taps recycled fishing nets to make Galaxy devices

Samsung will use recycled plastic — made from the waste fishing nets that are abandoned to drift in water — in manufacturing new Galaxy devices, the south-Korean tech giant said in a statement.   

The upcoming Galaxy lineup of premium smartphones will be made from a new and sustainable product. The company will incorporate “repurposed ocean-bound plastics” made from ‘discarded fishing nets' in the latest devices, the statement read.  

The announcement comes ahead of the ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ event slated to be held on 9 February, wherein flagship devices such as Galaxy S22 will be unveiled.  

According to the statement, about 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets are abandoned and discarded every year, which is a hidden threat to the environment. These ghost nets are responsible for trapping and entangling marine life, damaging coral reefs and natural habitats and even ending up in our food and water sources. 

These discarded fishing nets are disturbing the balance of the environment at an alarming rate, the statement said, adding that collecting and repurposing these nets are vital first steps in keeping oceans clean as well as preserving the planet. 

“Made with repurposed ocean-bound discarded fishing nets, the use of this material marks another step in our Galaxy for the planet journey that aims to minimise our environmental footprint,” Samsung said.

“These devices will reflect our ongoing effort to eliminate single-use plastics and expand the use of other eco-conscious materials,” it added. 

However, Samsung hasn’t disclosed the percentage of this new material that will account for the upcoming Galaxy S series phones. 

At Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, Samsung had revealed that its visual display business plans to use about 30 times more recycled plastics than it did in 2021. It had also revealed that that plans to expand its use of recycled materials to include all of its home appliances and mobile products over the next three years.

Earlier, Microsoft too had rollout ‘Ocean Plastic Mouse’ last year to support the environment. The company had said that the shell of this mouse is made with 20% recycled ocean plastic.