The life cycle of a Samsung product doesn't end when you buy it. That's why we're committed to making recycling easy, useful and even fun.
We love the latest technology as much as you do, so we know that upgrading to the best new products usually means disposing of the old ones—but that also means that a whole lot of personal electronics, like mobile phones, TVs and monitors, wind up in the waste stream. Samsung took on the challenge of reducing all that "e-waste," and came up with the most comprehensive national recycling program in the electronics industry.
Since many municipal recycling programs still can't accept personal electronics, Samsung's first goal was to create an easy, convenient way to recycle our products. Our solution is Samsung Recycling Direct®, a partnership between Samsung and respected recycling and takeback companies that adhere to strict standards including, not to incinerate e-waste, send it to solid-waste landfills or export it to developing countries. As of October 2010, nearly 49 million pounds of e-waste have been collected at Samsung's nationwide recycling and takeback centers, making Samsung Recycling Direct the leading electronics recycling program in the country.
There are over 1,000 fixed drop-off locations located in all 50 states that accept Samsung products (except appliances) for no fee. All you have to do is bring in your used electronics and we'll take it from there, giving you the confidence of knowing that your old products will be managed in an environmentally responsible way. Visit Samsung Recycling Direct to find a drop-off location near you.
Can't get to a drop-off location? You can still recycle your Samsung products through our mailback program, which allows you to ship any Samsung product, including televisions up to 50 pounds, to one of our recycling partners.
Discarded toner cartridges can create a significant source of hazardous waste in the environment, so Samsung also teamed up with the U.S. Postal Service to create the S.T.A.R. (Samsung Takeback and Recycling) program, an easy way for consumers and businesses to send back their empty Samsung toner cartridges. How easy is it to recycle your toner cartridges through S.T.A.R.? So easy that we're currently recycling over 10,000 pounds of cartridges per month, every month. We've also added new service options and collection box sizes that make it even more effortless for our business customers to send in their cartridges for recycling.
In addition to our nationwide Samsung Recycling Direct program, we also sponsor local single-day and weekend takeback events, during which you and your neighbors can drop off used electronics for recycling. Samsung has sponsored some of the largest takeback events in the country, sometimes collecting up to a million pounds of e-waste in a single, day-long event.
This summer, Samsung will once again partner with Sig Flags Entertainment to promote our mobile-phone takeback program in Six Flags theme parks around the country. You'll be able to drop off your old mobile phones in specially marked Samsung recycling bins throughout the parks, and you'll also be able to enter our special Six Flags sweepstakes, download our Six Flags Fun Finder mobile app and more. It's just one of the ways Samsung wants to make recycling effortless...and even fun!
Recycling of electronics is a great way to ensure a greener, cleaner planet, but it's equally important for recycled materials to be put back into use. Samsung is always looking for ways to use more recycled materials in our products, like our Reclaim™ Cell Phone, whose casing is made from 27% post-consumer materials. Reclaim's hardware is also 84% recyclable, so those materials will go on to find new uses, keeping them out of the waste stream and out of our environment.
From the drawing board to the recycling center, Samsung is mindful of the entire life cycle of our products. Renewal is the final step of the cycle—see what we're doing to Protect our environment and Conserve resources every step of the way.
