The Korean phone maker, Samsung, has received two sustainability awards from the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The first award was for the Galaxy Upcycling programme which allows old Galaxy devices to be repurposed for other hardware, and the second award was given to “Samsung for the company’s long-term commitment to the proper recycling of e-waste in the U.S.”
Samsung’s Galaxy Upcycling programme has not actually launched yet, but is due this year. It will allow Galaxy phone owners to reuse the hardware and software of old Galaxy phones in new technology products such as CCTV, gaming consoles, and IoT devices. Samsung will provide consumers with the tools for making the necessary hardware and software changes to re-utilise their old devices.
Michael Lawder, Senior Vice President of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America, said:
“In an effort to curb e-waste and extend the life cycle of our existing technology, we introduced the Galaxy Upcycling programme which repurposes technology resources into new devices. We’re honoured to receive the Cutting Edge Champion Award for this programme and our efforts to extend a products’ life cycle by repurposing its functionality.”
Samsung was also awarded for its recycling efforts in the U.S. The company’s electronics programme has allegedly collected and responsibly recycled more than 118 million pounds (53 million kg) of e-waste. The Korean firm is being recognised for this award for the fourth consecutive year.
Samsung was given both of the awards on Thursday during a ceremony at CES 2018.
Source: Samsung
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