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Samsung Sustainability Actions

Eco-management value system

Samsung Electronics laid the foundations for eco-management as a philosophy for the 21st century in the Samsung Environmental Declaration in 1992. Since then, we have gone beyond mere passive adherence to environmental regulations and laws. We have put eco-management into action, offering our customers eco-friendly solutions and leading the way to a sustainable future. A healthy environment is essential to our future.

PlanetFirst

A slogan that expresses our commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability management through business practices that prioritizes environment protection. The circular shape of the logo stands for the earth and a new beginning, and the green and blue colors represent a fertile earth and water that will last generations.

Acting now for a sustainable, low-carbon future

Climate change, resulting at least in part from a surge in the use of fossil fuels and the global warming it has caused, is a serious problem that affects the entire world. Samsung Electronics has acknowledged the reality of the crisis and is therefore continuing efforts on multiple fronts. These include developing highly energy-efficient products, installing equipment with minimum greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and harnessing new and renewable energy.

Our environmentally conscious products make for a healthy planet

Samsung Electronics gives the utmost priority to the environment -- from the moment product planning begins until a product’s final disposal. Our eco-design process, adopted in 2004, thoroughly analyzes a product’s potential environmental impact. We are doing our best to make our products as environmentally conscious as they are functional -- from conserving resources and making new, innovative products to ensuring they are easy to recycle at end-of-life. This is why our products are recognized around the world as environmentally conscious.

Conserve, use longer, and reuse

Since the Industrial Revolution, economic growth accompanied the reckless excavation and exploitation of natural resources. Experts have warned of the environmental problems from such excavation and future resource depletion. Samsung Electronics is aware of these warnings and implementing a wide range of response measures. In the process of product development and manufacturing, we efficiently use resources by technology innovation and find ways for inevitable waste and end-of-life products to use again. We will keep effort in making better products with fewer resources and to convert e-waste into usable resources.

Our environmentally conscious worksites coexist with nature

All of Samsung Electronics’ worksites have obtained environmental management system certification and, as such, practice eco-management. But our endeavors for the environment do not stop at the boundaries of the worksite. Within all of our worksites, we identify environmental problems and come up with solutions. By pinpointing the root of the problem and taking preventative action throughout the entire worksite system, we ensure that these solutions are not merely temporary or “too little, too late”. Outside of the worksites, meanwhile, we are enthusiastically engaged in biodiversity conservation work with local communities to preserve the ecosystem.

Our goal to achieve a circular economy

To protect an environment in crisis and use resources more efficiently, Samsung Electronics is engaged in efforts to focus on a circular economy. Going beyond the conventional practice of using resources once and discarding them, Samsung is working to ensure that resources can be reused by recovering, reusing and recycling after the product’s lifespan. By minimizing the type of materials used and optimizing the assembly method, we have developed production methods that minimize the use of resources. By collecting products that have reached the end of their life span we recover valuable materials. Through this circular economy, Samsung is lowering the amount of natural resources required for production, reducing greenhouse gas and pollutants from the incineration of waste, and preventing soil and underground water contamination caused by landfills. Above all, the best way to conserve resources is by making quality, long-lasting products. By strengthening the durability of our products before release through a series of strict reliability tests and by providing convenient repair services through its global service locations, including continuous software updates, Samsung is expanding the lifespan of our products to further contribute to the circular economy and conserving resources.

We breathe new life into end-of-life products

Establishing a circular economy system is an essential and fundamental factor in minimizing waste and using resources efficiently.Therefore, Samsung Electronics globally operates the Re+ Program, e-waste collection program. End-of-life products are collected through our service centers or recycling cooperatives, and the collected e-waste are recycled using an environmentally friendly method and reused as useful resources. We were able to collect a total of 4.03 million tons of waste products between 2009 and 2019.

Once a resource is used, it is recovered, recycled and reused

Samsung Electronics is moving away from the previous resource consuming structure, where resources were disposed after a single use, and pursuing various activities that consider closed-loop recycling, which recovers, recycles, and then reuses used resources. As part of our effort to establish a resource recycling social structure, we first analyze the composition of our major products and re-analyze from different angles the impact that each substance has on supply chain safety, the environment, society, and the economy.

We promote zero waste to landfill and resource recirculation

According to the goal of vitalizing the resource circulation system, Samsung Electronics is working on the development of waste processing technologies and expansion of waste separation in order to ensure that zero waste goes to landfill. In 2019, we increased the level of recycling by recycling copper using the technology for producing crude copper (97% copper) with copper extracted from waste sludge and by separately discarding waste synthetic resin, which used to be incinerated. In recognition of such efforts, the Hwaseong worksite was granted the “Presidential Citation at Leading Companies in Resource recirculation” in September, 2019 by the Korean Ministry of Environment. Furthermore, we are currently working on earning the “Zero Waste to Landfill” certification for worksites in Korea and the efforts will soon be expanded to worksites outside of Korea.

We are replacing single use-plastic packaging with environmentally conscious materials

Since establishing environmentally conscious packaging materials policy in 2018, Samsung Electronics has replaced single-use plastic packaging materials with environmentally conscious materials such as paper and bioplastic materials and plans to replace 100% of the paper used in our packages and manuals with the paper that obtained the sustainable forest certification by 2020. Furthermore, for our lifestyle TV products, “The Frame,” “The Serif,” and “The Sero,” we introduced “eco-package” by applying the concept of upcycling in the packaging materials. Corrugated cardboard is usually used in TV packaging to protect the product. Samsung Electronics completely reinterpreted the value of packaging materials by developing corrugated cardboard with a dot matrix design. As a result, customers can easily break them down and reassemble them for other uses with the help of a manual demonstrating how to create various things such as pet items and small furniture.

We are constantly striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

There are actions that can be taken at the company level to cope with climate change. One such measure is to objectively and transparently gauge current performance and identify potential internal improvements. To this end, Samsung Electronics has been verifying its actual greenhouse gas emissions annually through a third party. In addition, based on the diagnoses of in-house examiners, we have sought ways to reduce our emissions and have continuously taken steps to improve. One of our primary focus areas to reduce greenhouse gas has been to constantly strive to lower fluorinated gase emissions, which has large impact on global warming. This has led to significant progress, particularly in our semiconductor manufacturing operations.

Strict management of chemical substances according to local laws and internal regulations

In order to prevent potential accidents that may arise from chemical management, we systematically manage every stage from purchase to disposal. Our employees who deal with chemicals at each of our worksites are required to perform a preliminary evaluation of the chemical prior to purchase. We register and use chemicals after they have been assessed as adequate for use. After use, chemical waste are disposed safely through separate chemical waste treatment procedures.

To keep the Earth healthy, we support biodiversity preservation initiatives

Samsung Electronics leadership and employees are taking part in activities to make a healthy ecosystem. Samsung Electronics shares the basic philosophy behind activities to conserve biodiversity, operates campaigns to promote awareness on its importance, and encourages active participation of our leadership and employees.

We are implementing the Eco-Partner certification system to closely manage the supply chain

Samsung Electronics performs Eco-Partner evaluation on all suppliers of products and parts to closely examine not just products but also parts. We grant certification by assessing their compliance with our Standards for Control of Substances Used in Products and the suppliers’ environmental quality management system. Suppliers submit a product environmental report containing proof of their hazardous substances information, along with data from the raw materials company. Samsung Electronics then makes a thorough assessment by visiting the suppliers’ manufacturing sites to verify the submitted documents. To maintain the Eco-Partner certification, suppliers must be audited every two years, and those that fail to pass the audit are excluded from the supply chain. In these ways, we are striving to incorporate our suppliers in our green management initiatives. Rather than a one-time assessment, we provide continuous management and evaluation to ensure sustainable supply chain management.

Samsung Electronics continues to research ways to save energy

Samsung Electronics ceaselessly endeavors to manufacture highly energy-efficient products that use less energy for better performance. If a product can deliver an even more outstanding performance using less energy, then customers can save on energy costs. Less energy is used to generate power, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of applying innovative, energy-efficient technologies on our products in 2020, we were able to lower the energy consumption of our products by 32% compared to 2008. This means we were able to make a better-performing product using half the energy. But our work does not stop there -- we continue our research to develop groundbreaking technology that will reduce energy use even further.

Environmental Impact of Products – Life Cycle Assessment

We perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to analyze the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of our products across product manufacture, use, and disposal stages and reflect the results in our product development. In 2019, for example, we performed an LCA on a 24-inch monitor (model: S24E650PL) during which we attained an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) from Underwriters Laboratories (UL). We analyzed the impact of monitor products on global warming by evaluating them through 12 environmental impact categories1) in the process of pre-manufacture, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. As a result, we saw that the ‘use’ phase had the largest impact at 76% out of all stages. This is because a large amount of greenhouse gas is emitted in the process of producing the electricity consumed during the ‘use’ phase. Based on these results, we will try to minimize the power consumption and standby power of monitors by reflecting these results from the development stage.

Reducing of the GHG emissions at worksites

ㆍOperate fluorinated gases emission reduction facilities for the semiconductor manufacturing process ㆍManage energy saving projects and improve energy efficiency

Expanding energy management at worksites

ㆍSetting up energy management systems at all worksites and maintaining the certification

Reducing GHG in product use phase

ㆍDeveloping and launching highly energy-efficient products

Managing other GHG emissions

ㆍManaging GHG emissions in product logistics, business trips, etc.

Supporting suppliers

ㆍMonitoring suppliers' GHG emissions ㆍPromoting and supporting suppliers to join the CDP supply chain

We use advanced technology to improve energy efficiency

With its advanced product technologies, Samsung Electronics is evolving as we seek to enable a more environmentally responsible and convenient way of life. To achieve this goal, Samsung operates companywide eco-consulting group meetings twice a year. Through these meetings, Samsung shares information about environmental requirements and the development of innovative technologies among environmental experts of business divisions, and researches energy-saving technologies to develop products with high energy efficiency. In 2019, we reduced annual energy consumption by 42% compared to 2008 by adopting highly-efficient compressors for refrigerators and highly-efficient heat exchangers for air conditioners.

Supporting our suppliers to use renewable energy

To support suppliers’ use of renewable energy, Samsung Electronics joined the CDP supply chain in 2019. Since then, we have been contributing to healthier environment by advising top 200 suppliers (based on amount of purchase) to set targets on using renewable energy. We carried out training on completing the CDP climate change questionnaire and investigated greenhouse gas emissions and use of renewable energy for suppliers that generate 80% of their sales from Samsung Electronics. Many suppliers submitted a response to the questionnaire, and suppliers that have voluntarily established greenhouse gas reduction targets were given incentives. Samsung Electronics will continue to provide support and work closely with suppliers so that they may take interest in low-carbon economy and join efforts.

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