Samsung Galaxy series uses nylon recycled from discarded fishing nets

The Hanwha Group, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, has successfully developed nylon recycled from discarded fishing nets for use in mobile devices
.

This new material was developed to meet growing consumer demand for eco-friendly materials and to support Samsung's efforts to meet ESG mandate requirements
.

The material is made from fishing nets that are exposed to seawater and UV light for long periods of time, causing the material to degrade, making it too fragile to be directly recycled
.
Samsung first partnered with leading science company DSM to obtain fishing nets collected along the Indian Ocean coastline
.
After collection, DSM separates, cuts, washes and squeezes the nets to produce an eco-friendly material that is at least 80 percent recycled polyamide or nylon
.

Samsung then partnered with polymer compound company Hanwha Compound to use sophisticated compounding techniques to optimize the material's properties to meet the company's high-quality standards for smartphone technology
.
The result is a high-performance polyamide resin with a minimum content of 20% for recycled fishing nets
.

The material has been certified by Underwriter Laboratories and is now incorporated into key components in new Galaxy smartphones, PCs and tablets
.
Specifically, Samsung has applied it to the key bracket and inner cover of the S Pen for the Galaxy S22 series, the inner support bracket for the Galaxy Tab S8 series, and the touchpad bracket and inner bracket for the Galaxy Book2 Pro series
.

Going forward, Hanwha Compound said it will work to expand the range of eco-friendly products in its product portfolio, given the growing threat to marine biodiversity posed by discarded fishing nets and other marine plastics
.
The company says it has committed to extensive research and development efforts to upgrade marine debris into eco-friendly materials
.
In the future, the materials will also be used in automotive electronics and textile materials for more "sustainable solutions for the planet," said Lim Sang-il, CEO of Hanwha Compound
.