Samsung confirmed Galaxy Note 7 recycling plans
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 13:38:01
Fears that the recalled Note 7 range of smartphones would be disposed of in a potentially problematic and wasteful manner have finally been allayed by Samsung, which said that it will be recycling all four million of the faulty handsets to prevent causing an environmental catastrophe.
Electronics Weekly reports that the Note 7 models which it took back from customers last year after battery issues resulted in a number of fires will be processed so that the precious materials they contain can be reclaimed and reused in the production of other devices, with the help of third party recycling firms.
Furthermore, it will be disassembling the phones and removing any working components, including the cameras, so that they can be reused in the manufacturing process in some other capacity.
It will even be refurbishing some of the phones and potentially selling them back as an affordable option, so long as regulators in different global regions agree to this approach.
Whether Samsung will kill off the now tarnished Note 7 brand name or will retain it when it starts selling the refurbished handsets remains to be seen. It has yet to put a release date on the table either, but all should become clear in the next few weeks.
Repairing its own reputation could take some time, but this is a step in the right direction for Samsung, which has also announced that it will be investing heavily in research to improve the sustainability of smartphone manufacturing going forwards.
Campaigners at Greenpeace have said that they are very pleased with the way that Samsung has handled this matter, since reuse and recycling are the best options for all old mobile phones, no matter the age or condition of the device. Hopefully, this will set a precedent for other firms to follow.
Latest News
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 10:32:41
Every industry around the world has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and recycling has been especially affected as a result of force [...]
Read More
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 21:33:36
Apple has pulled back the curtains on the all-new iPhone SE, bringing with it a raft of eco-friendly design features which aim to improve the green cr [...]
Read More
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 21:32:00
Researchers from New Zealand have demonstrated a new recycling solution which could help companies to reclaim rare materials from smartphones, PCs and [...]
Read More