Samsung brings recycled fishing nets to foldables phones: How the green tech works and more

Samsung aims to use more recycled and ocean-bound plastic in its Galaxy devices. During a media roundtable, the company said that 50 percent of its Galaxy products will incorporate recycled plastic resin by 2030, and plans to take that number to 100 percent by the year 2050. The company says that it has created a new Circular Economy Lab to research material recycling technologies and resource extraction processes. During an online round table interaction with the media, Pranveer Singh Rathore, Materials R&D manager, Samsung Electronics, said, “I think we all recognize that tackling the climate crisis and establishing a circular economy are some of the most difficult challenges of our time. In this context, we all have crucial roles to play – businesses, governments, and the general public – and we need to do it together. At Samsung, we will rely on our strengths in developing innovative products and services and create a sustainable ecosystem across our value chain,”
Earlier this year, Samsung announced that it has partnered with Royal DSM, a science-based company to gather fishing nets from fishers who collect them along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean. After ensuring collection of the nets, the company separates, cuts, cleans and extrudes them to develop an eco-conscious material, which consists of a minimum of 80% recycled polyamide, or nylon. Samsung then collaborates with Hanwha Compound, a polymer compounding company to optimize the material’s performance to match the company’s standards for smartphone technology. The material is transformed into polyamide resins that are constructed with a minimum of 20% repurposed fishing nets. Now ready for use in mobile technology, Samsung incorporated these upcycled polyamide resins into key components of the Galaxy S22 series’ key bracket and inner cover of the S Pen.
Fishing nets come to latest-generation folding phones
After the flagship S22 series, Samsung has introduced the technology in its latest foldable phones as well. The new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are the first folding phones from the company to be made partially with recycled fishing nets. More than 90% of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro too are made from recycled parts.

As for specifics, the side key bracket on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 and Fold 4’s display connector cap are said to be made from discarded fishing nets. “So it acts as a barrier to water and dust and improves the durability of your phone. Similarly, with the receiver decode that displays connector Cap and other green parts, they act as housing to the crucial components,” Rathore said. “As they are housing the critical components, they act as a barrier and are durable so that they can withstand all kinds of climatic conditions and all kinds of stresses they are exposed to,” he added.
Talking about challenges, he said that as they are a unique design, and with that comes a fresh set of challenges. “The internal parts are different. The sizes are different. The way they are supposed to perform is different.”
Why fishing nets
Discarded fishing nets pose serious threats to marine life and natural ecosystems, often ending up in people’s food and water sources. Due to long-term exposure to seawater and UV rays, fishing net material is fragile, making the nets difficult to upcycle directly. To find a solution, Samsung created a material that maintains the quality of its smartphones while preserving the health of the world’s oceans.