On February 26, 2026, Samsung Electronics took center stage at its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, unveiling an ambitious new set of environmental goals for its mobile products under the banner "Galaxy for the Earth." This announcement marked a significant milestone in the tech giant's ongoing journey toward sustainability, as it publicly committed to even broader targets for 2030. The company’s leadership, including CEO Tae-moon Roh, made it clear that sustainability is now woven into the very fabric of Samsung’s business strategy, product design, and resource management.
Samsung’s environmental vision, first introduced in 2021, set out to minimize the ecological footprint of its mobile devices across every stage of their lifecycle—from design and production to packaging and end-of-life. According to Digital Today, the company not only met but fully achieved its four major targets for 2025, right on schedule. These included applying recycled materials to all Galaxy products, eliminating single-use plastics from packaging, reducing charger standby power to a near-zero 0.005 watts, and achieving zero landfill waste at all ten of its global mobile device production sites.
“Galaxy for the Earth is the result of years of continuous effort by Samsung Electronics and our partners,” CEO Tae-moon Roh stated at the event. “We have put sustainability at the heart of our business, reflecting it in everything from product design to resource management and the broader value creation of our devices.” Roh also emphasized that the company’s goals would be expanded to address a wider range of environmental impacts by 2030.
Samsung’s progress so far is nothing short of impressive. Since the Galaxy S22 series, the company has incorporated recycled plastic derived from discarded marine ghost nets—a notorious source of ocean pollution—into its devices. Looking ahead, the upcoming Galaxy S25 will feature a battery recycling circular system, which recovers raw materials from old device batteries for reuse. This marks a significant step toward closing the loop on electronic waste, a persistent challenge for the tech industry.
The company also reported that it now uses ten different types of recycled materials in its products, including plastic, glass, aluminum, cobalt, lithium, steel, copper, gold, rare earth elements, and tantalum. In a bid to further reduce its environmental footprint, Samsung replaced all single-use plastics in its product packaging with recycled paper materials. Meanwhile, its mobile device production facilities worldwide have reached zero landfill waste, earning the prestigious platinum grade from UL Solutions, an international safety science organization.
But Samsung isn’t stopping there. The 2030 roadmap unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked sets the bar even higher. The company plans to ensure that every module in its mobile products—meaning batteries, displays, cameras, and structural components—contains at least one recycled material. This commitment covers the entire Galaxy lineup, from smartphones and tablets to PCs and smartwatches.
Water stewardship is another pillar of Samsung’s expanded vision. The company has pledged to return 110% of the water it uses at its ten global mobile device sites back to local communities, essentially giving more than it takes. To achieve this, Samsung aims to secure the platinum rating from the International Water Stewardship Alliance at all its mobile device facilities. Additionally, the company plans to preserve ecosystems larger than the combined area of its ten production sites, a move designed to strengthen biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
In Roh’s words, “We will realize our expanded goals by 2030 to address a broader range of environmental impacts.” This pledge signals a new era for Samsung, one in which environmental responsibility and technological innovation go hand in hand.
The company’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Environmental groups and industry analysts alike have praised Samsung’s proactive approach, though many caution that the real test will be in the execution and transparency of these ambitions. As the world’s appetite for smartphones and other mobile devices continues to grow, so too does the pressure on manufacturers to find sustainable solutions for materials, energy use, and waste.
Meanwhile, the ripple effects of Samsung’s leadership are being felt throughout the South Korean financial sector. On the same day as the Galaxy Unpacked event, KB Asset Management announced the launch of the RISE Samsung Electronics SK Hynix Bond Mixed 50 ETF, the first domestic exchange-traded fund to focus heavily on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks while incorporating bonds for added stability. According to KB Asset Management, the ETF is designed to allow investors to tap into the growth potential of South Korea’s leading semiconductor companies while also meeting the stability requirements of retirement pension accounts.
“This ETF is a product that allows investment in the growth drivers of Korea’s leading semiconductor companies, while simultaneously securing the stability required for pension assets through bonds,” said Yook Dong-hwi, head of ETF product marketing at KB Asset Management. “For investors seeking more aggressive asset allocation within retirement pension accounts, this will be an efficient alternative.”
The ETF is structured with a 50% stock allocation, but it qualifies as a bond-mixed product, making it eligible for full inclusion in retirement pension portfolios. This innovative approach reflects a growing demand among South Korean investors for products that balance growth with risk mitigation—especially in an era of economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.
Samsung’s environmental initiatives and the financial sector’s response underscore a broader trend: sustainability is no longer a niche concern or a marketing buzzword. It’s becoming a central criterion for both consumers and investors. As Samsung raises the bar for what’s possible in sustainable electronics, it’s also prompting other manufacturers, suppliers, and financial institutions to rethink their own practices and priorities.
Of course, the road ahead is not without its challenges. Achieving true circularity in materials, minimizing water use, and preserving ecosystems all require not just technological innovation, but also systemic changes in how products are designed, manufactured, and recycled. Transparency, third-party certification, and public accountability will be crucial in determining whether Samsung and its peers can deliver on their lofty promises.
For now, though, Samsung Electronics’ bold 2030 environmental goals and the financial sector’s embrace of sustainability-focused investment products signal a significant shift in South Korea’s approach to technology, business, and the planet. The world will be watching to see if these promises translate into lasting change—and perhaps, a blueprint for the rest of the industry to follow.