Managing On-site Waste
More recycling, less landfilling
Zero Waste to Landfill roadmap
Recycling: Rethinking
waste as a resource
We continue to advance the circular economy by discovering added value in waste and developing recycling technologies. Through this, up to 98% waste recycling rate was achieved in 2025.
At Samsung Electronics, we operate a priority-based risk management process to minimize environmental and regulatory risks that may arise throughout our resource lifecycle. This aims to systematically reduce our environmental impacts through a step-by-step framework, spanning from product design to reuse and recycling for waste reduction.
By enhancing the level of our resource management strategies at each step, we are reducing our reliance on landfills and waste disposal methods while improving resource efficiency. Specifically, DS Division has collaborated since 2021 with external professional institutions to regularly assess its waste management partners. These assessments evaluate the adequacy of their waste treatment methods and their regulatory compliance, supplemented by consulting services to share best practices. By integrating our internal standards and regulatory updates into these assessment criteria, we continuously strengthen our overall resource management.
Platinum-grade sites1)
- DX Division
- South KoreaSuwon, Gwangju, Gumi
- OverseasSlovakia, China, India (Chennai, Noida), Brazil (Campinas, Manaus), Poland,
Egypt, Vietnam (Hanoi (2), Ho Chi Minh City), Mexico (Tijuana, Querétaro), Indonesia, Thailand, United States,
Türkiye, Hungary, Malaysia
- DS Division2)
- South KoreaGiheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Onyang, Cheonan, SAIT
- OverseasChina (Xi'an, Suzhou, Tianjin),
United States
- Based on validation status as of end of 2025
- UL Solutions conducted an integrated validation applicable to all 10 sites in DS Division, including Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology
- Recognition of
Circular ResourcesLearn more - In-House Waste
Management
SystemLearn more - Raw Material Efficiency
ImprovementLearn more
Reducing Water
Use and Air
Pollution
Efforts to preserve the natural environment
Water resources and air
pollution management roadmap
Restore water and air to their natural state
Production processes require water. They also can pollute the atmosphere. We need to work on two fronts: one, saving water, and two, developing technologies to reduce air and water pollutants.
We are reducing the amount of new water withdrawal by maximizing the reuse of water in production processes. Due to the expansion of semiconductor lines, the daily water withdrawal requirement at semiconductor business sites will more than double between 2022 and 2030. However, by increasing water reuse, we plan to reduce our water withdrawal down to 2021 levels.
Starting in 2040, we plan to apply innovative technologies that treat air and water pollutants from the semiconductor manufacturing process to natural state levels*, to minimize the impact on the environment.
- * Treating effluent to the level of upper stream water and emissions to clean air quality meeting the national standards
water reusage Unit: 1,000 tonnes
Bar chart showing annual figures from 2022 to 2025 / 2022: 116,590 / 2023: 122,891 / 2024: 125,463 / 2025: 134,753 as displayed.
Reduce and reuse
Water Usage Reduction and Reuse Efforts
-
Addressing the cause
of pollutants through
resource management -
Proactively identifying
and responding to
water risks by region -
Efficiently managing
water resources -
Collaborating for
sustainable water
resources -
Engaging with local
community -
Celebrating
World Water Day
-
- To return vital water
to the community -
-
- To return vital water
-
- Grow together
with the ecosystems around us -
-
- Grow together
Protecting air and water
for a cleaner, healthier future
Air and water pollution management
Managing
Chemicals
We don’t stop at ‘good enough’,
because we care about our
customers and employees’ health
and their environments.
Reducing the use of
substances of concern
for the health of our
customers and
employees
To comply with international environmental regulations and stakeholder expectations, and to minimize our impact on the environment and human health, we have established the Standards for Control of Substances Used in Products. Under this framework, we strictly manage hazardous materials and substances of concern within our products.
This ensures our compliance with major global environmental regulations, such as the EU Directive on the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), halogen-free requirements, and the U.S. TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act). By implementing a systematic incoming material management and inspection process, spanning from raw materials to finished products, we proactively identify and minimize hazardous substance risks.
As global regulations on hazardous chemicals continue to tighten, we continuously monitor regulatory trends and implement proactive response strategies for newly identified substances of concern.
Specifically, we are taking a phased approach to securing and applying alternative materials, with the ultimate goal of achieving PFAS*-free production.
- Managing substances of
concern
through
pre-verification and
managementSubstances of concern management in products - Keeping Samsung
Electronics
and partner
companies safeRegulated substances in manufacturing processes
- Ensuring safer processes
from
pre-evaluation to
disposalChemical management processes - Stressing safety
throughout
operationsBusiness site chemical management
