Michał Stekla
Have you ever wondered what happens to waste in factories where modern screens for televisions and smartphones are produced? Samsung Display has just announced that all its plants – both in South Korea and abroad – have achieved the highest (platinum) rating of "Zero Waste to Landfill." What does this mean in practice?
“Zero Waste to Landfill” is an initiative aimed at maximizing the reduction of waste sent to landfills. In other words, companies want to recycle almost everything they would normally throw away. Certification comes from UL Solutions, an organization that checks what percentage of waste is being recycled. The scale is as follows:
Silver: 89.5–94.4% recycling
Gold: 94.5–99.4% recycling
Platinum: 99.5–100% recycling
Samsung Display boasts the highest, platinum level for all eight of its campuses (four in Korea and four outside its borders).
According to the company's announcement, the amount of waste has decreased from about 190 thousand tons in 2021 to 150 thousand tons in 2023. Additionally, even those 150 thousand tons are recycled at least 99.5%. Sounds great, right? However, it must be acknowledged that there is a lot of corporate boasting in the official announcement. That does not change the fact that reducing waste and processing it is good news for the environment.
Here is a short summary of the data:
Category | Results/Description |
|---|---|
Recycling rate | Platinum (99.5–100% of waste is processed) |
Facilities in Korea | Asan1, Asan2, Cheonan, Giheung |
Foreign facilities | China (Dongguan, Tianjin), India (Noida), Vietnam (SDV) |
Amount of waste (2021) | About 190,000 tons |
Amount of waste (2023) | About 150,000 tons (a decrease of over 20%) |
Examples of recycling | PVC from production lines reused, glass processed into fiberglass or paving stones |
Does it matter to the "ordinary" viewer?
Definitely yes! Although there are many elements of typical corporate PR in this message, it is important that key electronic equipment manufacturers are starting to care about the environment. Less waste means reduced raw material consumption and potentially a cleaner planet.
In the end, it is worth appreciating efforts in the field of recycling, even if the company is clearly boasting about it. Hopefully, similar steps will be taken by other companies, and we as consumers will gain more ecological devices. After all, each of us uses electronics, and its production does not always have to be associated with huge piles of garbage.
