[Interview] How Does a Used Galaxy System Turn out to be a Key A part of a New One? Inside Samsung’s Round Battery Provide Chain

What if a used smartphone may turn into a part of a brand-new gadget?

Beforehand confined to the creativeness, this concept is now a actuality with Samsung Electronics’ Round Battery Provide Chain — an initiative that recovers and reuses key supplies from the batteries of used Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy S25 marks the primary time this closed-loop battery recycling system has been utilized to Samsung’s flagship lineup.

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Youngmin Kim from the Round Economic system Lab within the International Atmosphere, Well being and Security (EHS) Workplace and Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group within the Cellular eXperience (MX) Enterprise at Samsung Electronics to study extra concerning the growth and influence of this venture.

▲ (From left) Sangcheul Lee and Youngmin Kim

Used Galaxy Units Reborn as Precious Assets

Every year, roughly 200 tons of waste battery materials have been collected at Samsung’s manufacturing services in Vietnam. International locations with correct recycling infrastructure can repurpose used batteries for functions like electrical car batteries. Vietnam, nevertheless, lacked the means to take action. Recognizing the necessity for a sustainable resolution, the corporate determined to deal with the problem.

“Samsung’s Vietnam services are amongst those who generate the best quantity of waste batteries, together with faulty items from the manufacturing course of and batteries recovered from a manufacturing unit that repairs Galaxy telephones traded in from america,” stated Youngmin Kim. “Our aim was to create a system that might permit us to recycle these assets and reintegrate them into our merchandise.”

▲ Youngmin Kim explains the Round Battery Provide Chain whereas showcasing cobalt and cathode supplies.

To develop an environment friendly recycling course of for Vietnam’s waste batteries, Samsung partnered with a number of firms to construct an optimized useful resource circularity system that related cobalt extraction vegetation with battery manufacturing traces in neighboring nations.

“For the Galaxy S24 sequence, we sourced recycled cobalt externally,” he defined. “Nonetheless, with the Galaxy S25, we carried out a completely closed-loop recycling system that extracts cobalt instantly from discarded Galaxy batteries.”

The collected waste batteries are processed into high-purity cobalt, then shipped to the battery manufacturing line the place it’s built-in into Galaxy S25 batteries. This course of transforms digital waste from used Galaxy units right into a helpful useful resource, supporting Samsung’s imaginative and prescient for a sustainable round economic system.

▲ Samsung’s Round Battery Provide Chain in motion

Extra particularly, the Round Battery Provide Chain begins with accumulating used Galaxy smartphones, adopted by dismantling and discharging their batteries. These batteries are then shredded and processed right into a high-quality powder referred to as “black mass.” This materials is subsequently refined to extract cobalt — which is used to provide cathode supplies, a key element of the Galaxy S25 battery.

The Infinite Recyclability of Cobalt

Cobalt is crucial for sustaining the steadiness and efficiency of lithium-ion batteries in smartphones. Whereas lithium carries electrons throughout the battery, cobalt facilitates lithium’s motion to make sure optimum battery operation.

▲ Cobalt ore samples

“Cobalt doesn’t degrade with battery use, which means it could actually theoretically be recycled indefinitely,” stated Lee. “Recycled cobalt and newly mined cobalt are just about an identical — a lot in order that the distinction is indistinguishable within the manufacturing course of.”

In essence, Galaxy units containing cobalt could be recycled and repurposed no matter their manufacturing date.

▲ Samsung’s Round Battery Provide Chain on show at Cellular World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona

“The important thing to extracting high-purity cobalt lies in expertise,” stated Kim. “By means of our Round Battery Provide Chain, now we have efficiently recovered and utilized over 90% of the cobalt from the discarded batteries which were collected.”

Half of the cobalt used within the Galaxy S25 batteries comes from recycled sources — a robust testomony to Samsung’s environmental technique and dedication to lowering its environmental influence whereas sustaining premium product high quality.

The Street to a Dependable and Environment friendly Round Provide Chain

Nonetheless, establishing the Round Battery Provide Chain was no simple feat because the batteries have been required to satisfy stringent international security and environmental rules.

▲ Sangcheul Lee explains the certification administration course of.

“We needed to interact with quite a few accomplice firms, navigating advanced and rigorous procedures,” recalled Lee. “To stop fireplace hazards throughout transport, the batteries needed to be crushed and acquiring the required certifications to adjust to related environmental rules took appreciable time.”

“With consistently evolving rules and Samsung’s exceptionally excessive inside requirements, we underwent a number of rounds of opinions and certifications,” he added. “Regardless of the challenges, we endured as a staff and efficiently carried out the system within the Galaxy S25.”

Samsung’s Evolving Imaginative and prescient for a Round Economic system

“I felt an important sense of satisfaction when our Round Battery Provide Chain was showcased on the current Galaxy Unpacked occasion,” stated Lee, reflecting on the achievement. “I hope to proceed growing sustainable batteries by increasing our recycling efforts to incorporate lithium and different supplies.”

“With the Galaxy S25, we’ve additionally reached one other vital milestone in useful resource circularity — wafer trays discarded after semiconductor manufacturing have been repurposed right into a plastic used within the aspect and quantity keys,” shared Kim. “We’re engaged on numerous initiatives to develop useful resource circularity throughout different product traces as properly, and we hope our customers will proceed to affix us on our journey.”

Samsung has efficiently established a closed-loop battery recycling system by means of the Round Battery Provide Chain — turning a imaginative and prescient launched underneath its 2022 environmental technique into actuality with the Galaxy S25. This milestone has sparked rising anticipation for the subsequent improvements that may emerge from Samsung’s pursuit of a extra sustainable future.