Samsung Galaxy S22 — how Samsung is using recycled fishing nets to make phones more sustainable

fishing nets used as Samsung repurposed ocean-bound plastics for smartphones and other devices
(Image credit: Samsung)

The Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup likely to be introduced this week should have a lot of things going for it, from improved cameras to a new chipset. Samsung is hoping to add sustainability to that list.

The company said today (February 6) that it's developed a new material using ocean-bound plastics that it plans to incorporate into future Galaxy devices. Samsung said that starts with whatever it unveils at the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event slated for this Wednesday (February 9). While the company didn't specifically point to the Galaxy S22, that's the product lineup widely expected to headline this week's event.

"Now and into the future, Samsung will incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics throughout our entire product lineup, starting with our new Galaxy devices that will be revealed on February 9th at Unpacked," the company announced via a blog post.

Specifically, Samsung says it's repurposing ocean-bound discarded fishing nets to create some materials to be incorporated into its phones and other devices. According to Samsung, some 640,000 tons of nets are discarded every year, with much of that material finding its way into oceans. Once there, the nets can damage coral reefs and other habitats while also trapping fish.

Samsung repurposed ocean-bound plastics for smartphones and other devices

(Image credit: Samsung)

Instead, Samsung's going to take the plastic from those nets for reuse in some devices. That's part of the electronics giant's ongoing push to eliminate single-use plastic in its products and expand the use of recycled post-consumer material and recycled paper.

Samsung's Unpacked event gets started at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on Wednesday. You can watch the Samsung Unpacked live stream, but we're also going to live blog the event with all of the announcements coming out of Unpacked. In addition to the Galaxy S22 unveiling — which should included three phones that enjoy several similarities with the Galaxy S21 — we expect to see new Galaxy Tab S8 tablets during the Unpacked event.

Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.