Samsung unveils updated program to recycle old Galaxy devices

 Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest smartphone maker, on Monday unveiled an updated program to recycle old mobile devices at home with Internet of Things (IoT) technology as part of the South Korean tech titan’s vision for a sustainable future.

Samsung unveiled “Galaxy Upcycling at Home” program at its press conference for Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021, the world’s largest tech expo that takes place online until Thursday.

“The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools,” the company said.

The latest program is an update to its Galaxy Upcycling campaign that was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a solution for used mobile devices.

Under the new program, Samsung said its old Galaxy smartphones can be reborn as smart monitoring devices that can detect baby’s crying or check companion animal’s moves and leverage IoT technologies to operate other functions at people’s smart home.

In addition to the Galaxy device recycling scheme, Samsung announced that its eco-packaging would be used for QLED, UHD TV, monitor and audio products in 2021.

The world’s largest TV vendor said all of its 2021 QLED TVs will come with solar-powered remote controls to reduce battery waste.

At the press event, Samsung also vowed to bolster technology education with programs including Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung Innovation Campus.

To enhance accessibility of its products and technology, the company highlighted its SeeColors application, which is designed to support people with color vision deficiency to adjust settings on Samsung smart TVs, as well as the Sign Language Zoom feature on TVs.

“With a focus on the environment, people and society, we will continue to provide our consumers with responsible tools and technologies to address our challenges today and enable a better future for all,” said Sandeep Rana, an environmental sustainability specialist at Samsung.