{"id":596,"date":"2025-04-02T13:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/?p=596"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:31:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T14:31:09","slug":"how-does-a-used-galaxy-device-become-a-key-part-of-a-new-one-inside-samsungs-circular-battery-supply-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/how-does-a-used-galaxy-device-become-a-key-part-of-a-new-one-inside-samsungs-circular-battery-supply-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does a Used Galaxy Device Become a Key Part of a New One? Inside Samsung\u2019s Circular Battery Supply Chain"},"content":{"rendered":"

What if a used smartphone could become part of a brand-new device?<\/p>\n

Previously confined to the imagination, this idea is now a reality with Samsung Electronics\u2019 Circular Battery Supply Chain<\/a> \u2014 an initiative that recovers and reuses key materials from the batteries of used Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy S25<\/a> marks the first time this closed-loop battery recycling system has been applied to Samsung\u2019s flagship lineup.<\/p>\n

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Youngmin Kim from the Circular Economy Lab in the Global Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Office and Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics to learn more about the development and impact of this project.<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 (From left) Sangcheul Lee and Youngmin Kim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Used Galaxy Devices Reborn as Valuable Resources<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Each year, approximately 200 tons of waste battery material were collected at Samsung\u2019s production facilities in Vietnam. Countries with proper recycling infrastructure can repurpose used batteries for applications like electric vehicle batteries. Vietnam, however, lacked the means to do so. Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, the company decided to address the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cSamsung\u2019s Vietnam facilities are among those that generate the highest volume of waste batteries, including defective units from the manufacturing process and batteries recovered from a factory that repairs Galaxy phones traded in from the United States,\u201d said Youngmin Kim. \u201cOur goal was to create a system that would allow us to recycle these resources and reintegrate them into our products.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Youngmin Kim explains the Circular Battery Supply Chain while showcasing cobalt and cathode materials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

To develop an efficient recycling process for Vietnam\u2019s waste batteries, Samsung partnered with multiple companies to build an optimized resource circularity system that connected cobalt extraction plants with battery production lines in neighboring countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the Galaxy S24 series<\/a>, we sourced recycled cobalt externally,\u201d he explained. \u201cHowever, with the Galaxy S25<\/a>, we implemented a fully closed-loop recycling system that extracts cobalt directly from discarded Galaxy batteries.\u201d<\/p>\n

The collected waste batteries are processed into high-purity cobalt, then shipped to the battery production line where it is integrated into Galaxy S25<\/a> batteries. This process transforms electronic waste from used Galaxy devices into a valuable resource, supporting Samsung\u2019s vision for a sustainable circular economy.<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Samsung\u2019s Circular Battery Supply Chain in action<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

More specifically, the Circular Battery Supply Chain begins with collecting used Galaxy smartphones, followed by dismantling and discharging their batteries. These batteries are then shredded and processed into a fine powder known as \u201cblack mass.\u201d This material is subsequently refined to extract cobalt \u2014 which is used to produce cathode materials, a key component of the Galaxy S25<\/a> battery.<\/p>\n

The Endless Recyclability of Cobalt<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Cobalt is essential for maintaining the stability and performance of lithium-ion batteries in smartphones. While lithium carries electrons within the battery, cobalt facilitates lithium\u2019s movement to ensure optimal battery operation.<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Cobalt ore samples<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cCobalt does not degrade with battery use, meaning it can theoretically be recycled indefinitely,\u201d said Lee. \u201cRecycled cobalt and newly mined cobalt are virtually identical \u2014 so much so that the difference is indistinguishable in the manufacturing process.\u201d<\/p>\n

In essence, Galaxy devices containing cobalt can be recycled and repurposed regardless of their manufacturing date.<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Samsung\u2019s Circular Battery Supply Chain on display at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe key to extracting high-purity cobalt lies in technology,\u201d said Kim. \u201cThrough our Circular Battery Supply Chain, we have successfully recovered and utilized over 90% of the cobalt from the discarded batteries that have been collected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Half of the cobalt used in the Galaxy S25<\/a> batteries comes from recycled sources \u2014 a strong testament to Samsung\u2019s environmental strategy and commitment to reducing its environmental impact while maintaining premium product quality.<\/p>\n

The Road to a Reliable and Efficient Circular Supply Chain<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Nonetheless, establishing the Circular Battery Supply Chain was no easy feat as the batteries were required to meet stringent global safety and environmental regulations.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25b2 Sangcheul Lee explains the certification management process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe had to engage with numerous partner companies, navigating complex and rigorous procedures,\u201d recalled Lee. \u201cTo prevent fire hazards during transport, the batteries had to be crushed and obtaining the necessary certifications to comply with relevant environmental regulations took considerable time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith constantly evolving regulations and Samsung\u2019s exceptionally high internal standards, we underwent multiple rounds of reviews and certifications,\u201d he added. \u201cDespite the challenges, we persisted as a team and successfully implemented the system in the Galaxy S25<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Galaxy
\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n
Samsung\u2019s Evolving Vision for a Circular Economy<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u201cI felt a great sense of pride when our Circular Battery Supply Chain was showcased at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event<\/a>,\u201d said Lee, reflecting on the achievement. \u201cI hope to continue developing sustainable batteries by expanding our recycling efforts to include lithium and other materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Galaxy S25<\/a>, we\u2019ve also reached another significant milestone in resource circularity \u2014 wafer trays discarded after semiconductor manufacturing have been repurposed into a plastic used in the side and volume keys,\u201d shared Kim. \u201cWe are working on various projects to expand resource circularity across other product lines as well, and we hope our users will continue to join us on our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samsung has successfully established a closed-loop battery recycling system through the Circular Battery Supply Chain \u2014 turning a vision launched under its 2022 environmental strategy into reality with the Galaxy S25<\/a>. This milestone has sparked growing anticipation for the next innovations that will emerge from Samsung\u2019s pursuit of a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What if a used smartphone could become part of a brand-new device? Previously confined to the imagination, this idea is now a reality with Samsung Electronics\u2019 Circular Battery Supply Chain \u2014 an initiative that recovers and reuses key materials from the batteries of used Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy S25 marks the first time this closed-loop […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple-watch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":607,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596\/revisions\/607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmscom.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}