Samsung Collected Over 610,000 Tons of E-Waste Worldwide Last Year

Samsung not only innovates electronic devices but also aims to recycle materials for an eco-friendly environment. The company today announced that it collected more than 610,000 tons of e-waste worldwide last year. This is equivalent to over 6 million Samsung AI drum washing machines, each weighing 98 kg.

Samsung’s e-waste collection has reached 6.9 million tons since 2009

For years, Samsung has been putting a lot of effort into collecting and recycling e-waste. The company operates a “resource circulation system” to collect old products and reuse them in manufacturing. From 2009 to 2024, it has collected a whopping 6.9 million tons of e-waste. That’s enough washing machines to circle the Earth and still have room to spare.

Samsung says the amount collected each year has also increased steadily, from 240,000 tons in 2009 to over 610,000 tons in 2024. The company’s success in contributing to the environment is mainly due to its systematic approach. It first collects waste electronic products in over 80 countries around the world. As part of this effort, it uses collection bins at stores and retail outlets or picks up old products when delivering new ones.

The Korean firm then extracts useful materials such as scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, synthetic resins, and glass. Finally, it uses these resources to manufacture new products. As of 2024, Samsung’s DX division used recycled materials to make 31% of the plastic parts in its products. The company now plans to use these materials in all plastic parts by 2050.

“Samsung Electronics is not only providing a convenient user experience to global consumers with AI-based innovative products, but is also doing its best in sustainability, from product collection to recycling,” said Lee Jun-hwa, Vice President of Global EHS at Samsung Electronics.

A few months ago, Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 won the 2025 Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) Recycling Design Award. The phone includes eight different recycled materials across its components, such as aluminum, steel, and neodymium. This award shows the company’s efforts to use more recycled materials in its products.