Samsung Mobile Plans Recycling 1 Million Handsets in 2010

Samsung Mobile announced on Tuesday the launch of a new initiative in the United States, in an attempt to collect one million handsets for recycling during the ongoing year. According to the company, the eco-focused program, part of its March to a Million pledge, is set to reach a number of around seven million middle- and high-school students in around 9,500 schools across the US, and is set to educate teens on the importance of mobile-phone recycling.

“Samsung Mobile has numerous eco-friendly initiatives in place, including our Mobile Take-Back program and last year’s launch of the Samsung Reclaim, the first phone in the U.S. constructed from eco-friendly bio-plastic materials,” Paul Golden, chief marketing officer of Samsung Mobile, said. “The March to a Million program is taking our green initiatives one step further to educate consumers on the importance and ease of recycling mobile phones. The goal of the in-school program is to reach an influential demographic and one that we think will help us spread the word throughout their communities.”

According to the handset vendor, it has also unveiled the official March to a Million logo. The company will focus on collecting the one million mobile phones for recycling in 2010 and is creating eco-friendly educational programs, aimed at offering support for wireless carrier’s mobile recycling programs. At the same time, the company notes that it will also use existing Samsung Mobile event sponsorships for the collecting and recycling of the devices.

“Students will learn about the importance of mobile phone recycling and the impact that it can have, both environmentally and socially, and participate in activities that will allow them to educate their peers, parents and local communities. Each participating school has the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win either a VIP concert from the pop/rock band, Hey Monday, or one of fifty $1,000 'Green Grants' to put towards making their school more environmentally friendly. The winner of the VIP concert will be announced in June,” the handset vendor announced.

The new Samsung Mobile’s March to a Million program is also meant to support the Eco-Management 2013 Plan Samsung announced in July 2009. The plan includes a series of goals to be achieved by Samsung in 2013, such as the reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, the delivery of eco-friendly products, investments in eco-management initiatives, and more. Additional details on the company's eco-friendly programs can be found here.