Exploding Samsung Note 7s Pose Risk To Environment, Experts Say

By now, everyone probably is familiar with Samsung’s infamous Galaxy Note 7 Android smartphone. No, not for the fact that, under optimal conditions, it is an excellent piece of technology, but for the fact that it’s battery is so prone to exploding that Samsung issued the largest consumer electronics recall in history – 4.3 million units, a figure made up of 3 million sold and an additional 1.3 million unsold – after both their flagship smartphone and it’s allegedly “safe” replacement would, on occasion, burst into smoke and flames in users’ hands. That’s not a feature that one looks for in their tech, that’s for sure.

But the real problem isn’t Samsung’s exploding phones; while scary, few people have actually been actually hurt by them. The problem, according to environmental blog Yellow Pages Goes Green, is now that the Galaxy Note 7 has been officially recalled and production permanently ceased…what are they going to do with all of those phones, and what will that disposal method do to the environment?

According to EcoWatch, the Galaxy Note 7 – like many smartphones – is comprised of numerous materials that, if summarily dispersed into landfills around the Earth, could ultimately break down and cause serious issues to whatever ecosystems they are occupying…much like the maligned Galaxy Note 7 has caused issues with Samsung’s reputation and profits.

“According to calculations by Oeko-Institut, a research and consultancy institution based in Germany, the 4.3 million smartphones contain more than 20 metric tons of cobalt, more than 1 ton of tungsten, 1 ton of silver, 100 kilograms of gold and between 20 and 60 kilograms of palladium,” they said. “These materials could be recovered but will instead end up harming the environment if Samsung doesn't repurpose or reuse them. Despite issuing a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has not offered an official explanation for the malfunctioning phones. It has said that it will not recycle the returned phones but has offered no further clarity on what it will do with them.”

CNN Money notes that Samsung is being urged by well-known environmental advocacy group Greenpeace to properly recycle their stock of Galaxy Note 7s, citing the harm they could potentially cause if carelessly tossed into a standard garbage heap and left to rot. However, to date, the South Korean tech company has remained silent on the matter.

"Greenpeace is blasting Samsung for failing to detail how it will dispose of the millions of Note 7 smartphones it's recalling around the world. If the South Korean tech company chooses to dump them, it would create the equivalent of about 28 shipping containers of toxic waste, according to the environmental advocacy group," they said. "Greenpeace is urging Samsung to recycle as much of the doomed smartphone parts as possible. Its report highlights the heavy human and environmental costs associated with mining and producing the precious metals and other materials contained in the phones."

Marketwatch says that the Samsung’s options for proper disposal of the Galaxy Note 7s are limited, mostly because certain components of the smartphone simply cannot be recycled.

“About 50 elements go into a Note 7, but only 12 can be recycled, due to today’s inefficient recycling methods,” they said. “These materials could be recovered but will instead end up harming the environment if Samsung doesn’t repurpose or reuse them.”

One aspect of the Note 7’s construction that may also contribute to its difficulty in being recycled, Marketwatch notes, is the fact that it’s rechargeable – and potentially explosive – battery is glued to the device, requiring manual removal before the components of the device can be reused for other purposes, adding a significant hurdle for the Note 7’s proper dispersal. However, as they say- where there’s a will, there’s a way, especially where the environment’s concerned.

Yellow Pages Goes Green issues a statement to Samsung- make sure you do the right thing and recycle, repurpose, and reuse the components of your Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in a responsible and environmentally “green” manner to ensure that the Earth is spared any contamination due to your technological folly. Samsung has the chance to prove that it too cares about the environment and is committed to protecting the ecosystems of the planet so that future generations can benefit from the choices that we as a worldwide community make today.