Samsung lets down environmentalist over Note 7 recycling

By Kim Se-jeong

Environmentalists expressed disappointment on Monday at Samsung Electronics which failed to announce a much-anticipated recycling plan for valuable components used in Galaxy Note 7 smartphones recalled over a battery defect.

In a press conference, the smartphone manufacturer said the battery design and its manufacturing caused batteries to overheat and catch fire. But, the company made no mention of what they would do with the recalled phones. Samsung recalled 3.06 million around the world, including 950,000 in Korea.

“We’re deeply disappointed that Samsung didn’t announce a plan for the recycling of Galaxy Note 7s,” Greenpeace in Korea said in a statement. “This means Samsung’s customers and the environment should pay for the damage. We urge Samsung to make their business more sustainable and to come up with a plan soon.”

An anonymous Samsung official said the company needs more time. “Finding out the cause was our priority. We have not decided what to do with them yet, and that is what we will figure out next.”

Environmentalists argue smartphone recycling is important because the phones contain many types of minerals, some of which are rare earth resources: gold, silver, cobalt tungsten and palladium, as well as lithium used in the battery.

Following a major recall over defects in 1995, Samsung incinerated all 150,000 of its Anycall phones in open air. Samsung is not likely to do the same again, but history has given environmentalists enough to worry about.

Recalled phones outside Korea will be dealt with according to local regulations. U.S. media reported the recalled products are expected to be sent to local recycling facilities. In Korea, there’s no regulation governing recalled phones.

Greenpeace was at the forefront of pressuring Samsung since September when the company announced the recall. It launched a special campaign under which it attempted to meet with Samsung staff for discussions and staged street protests.