Samsung

At Samsung Unpacked on Wednesday, Samsung plans to debut new Galaxy devices made with repurposed ocean-bound plastics. The new smartphones are specifically made from discarded fishing nets.

Starting with these new devices, Samsung said it plans to incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics into its entire mobile product lineup. The new product design is part of Samsung's ongoing effort to eliminate single-use plastics and expand the use of other eco-conscious materials, such as recycled post-consumer material (PCM) and recycled paper. It falls under Samsung's Galaxy for the Planet initiative, which is focused on reducing the company's environmental footprint and supporting sustainable lifestyles.

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Samsung calls discarded fishing nets a "hidden threat" to the ocean. Citing a United Nations report, the company said that 640,000 tons of fishing nets are abandoned and discarded every year. These nets can trap and entangle marine life, damage coral reefs and other natural habitats, and contaminate food and water sources. 

Sustainability has become an increasingly important goal for corporations for a number of different reasons. Companies are facing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint from employees, investors, customers ,and regulators. 

"The pressure on organizations to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is more widespread than most finance leaders might realize -- 85% of investors considered ESG factors in their investments in 2020," according to Swetha Venkataramani in a Gartner article. 

Samsung noted that it already collects and repurposes or recycles an average of 100 million pounds of e-waste in the US annually. Additionally, all Samsung facilities in the US use 100% renewable energy.

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