Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in technology and innovation, has received two awards for its sustainability initiatives from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA awarded Samsung with the 2017 Cutting Edge Champion Award for its innovative Galaxy Upcycling program and its US e-waste collection efforts with the Gold Tier Award for the fourth consecutive year.
The Galaxy Upcycling program allows Galaxy phone owners to retrofit the hardware and software of antiquated, used Galaxy phones into new technology products, such as closed circuit TVs, gaming consoles and Internet of Things devices.
The program puts the tools for transforming devices into new technology in consumers’ hands by providing them with necessary software changes and suggested hardware changes that enable new functionality.
The program was created from the company’s innovation hub, C-Lab, and will be launched this year.
The Cutting Edge Champion Award was presented to Samsung for the Galaxy Upcycling program’s innovative and environmentally responsible ways to use a product’s materials throughout its entire life cycle.
“In an effort to curb e-waste and extend the lifecycle of our existing technology, we introduced the Galaxy Upcycling program, which repurposes technology resources into new devices,” said Michael Lawder, senior vice president of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America. “We’re honored to receive the Cutting Edge Champion Award for this program, and our efforts to extend a products’ life cycle by repurposing its functionality.”
The Gold Tier Award was given to Samsung for the company’s long-term commitment to the proper recycling of e-waste in the US.
In 2016 the company’s electronics-recycling program collected and recycled over 118 million pounds of e-waste in the United States, which made it one of the world’s biggest collectors of e-waste. Samsung is being recognized in this category for the fourth year in a row.