Samsung plans to use plastic waste in new Galaxy phones by 2025 — eco-friendly smartphones on the rise

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung unveiled a plan to use recycled material in upcoming Galaxy smartphones and completely eliminate single-use plastics from packaging.

This is all part of Samsung's new sustainability plan to go green and reduce its environmental footprint by 2025. The "Galaxy for the Planet" platform has been a hit with both US and UK phone users, according to a survey from consumer research company Piplsay. 

The report shows around 70% of the 40,000 responses received are excited about Samsung's push towards eco-friendly smartphones, and around 70%  would "proactively buy from brands taking eco-friendly measures."

According to Samsung's post, the tech giant has a number of goals to achieve by 2025. This includes using different recycled materials within new mobile devices, getting rid of and replacing unnecessary resources and materials in packaging, and reducing waste generated at its mobile worksites. 

(Image credit: Samsung)

The South Korean tech giant also makes a point to reduce standby power consumption of all of its smartphone chargers to below 0.005W. Currently, Samsung has reduced this to 0.02W, but aims to work towards reaching "zero-power standby consumption."

Samsung isn't the only company with sustainability plans in place, as Apple and Microsoft also aim to be carbon-neutral as early as 2030. As the survey points out, Samsung and Apple are the two most trusted brands to "act responsibly towards the environment." Over the next few years, we may see a surge in eco-friendly iPhone models, Galaxy phones, and more.

Apple and Samsung already have recycling programs in place, including trade-ins, upcycling, and having certified refurbished iPhone models and Galaxy Phones for sale. These methods can also help save your hard-earned cash, and you may spot a few on our best phone deals page. 

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.