Samsung Electronics America just announced a new partnership with Wisetek Solutions and the DC Department of Energy & Environment. The main goal of this collaboration is to increase recycling and repurposing of e-waste across the DC region, as well as to educate companies about the benefits of global sustainability.
As a result, the two companies along with the DC Library System will hold free monthly events throughout the year to allow both businesses and members of the public to conveniently recycle used electronics.
The recycling program covers used tablets…
The list of electronics eligible for the recycling program includes tablets as well as other types of computers, ranging from laptops and desktops to small scale servers. By the looks of it, they don't have to be Samsung-branded either. Also mentioned are computer monitors, peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and PC speakers, as well as desktop printers weighing less than 100 pounds.
Likewise, televisions and TV peripherals such as DVD players, signal converter boxes, and cable or satellite receivers are covered. Game consoles too, as long as they can be hooked up to a TV. Unfortunately, if you're looking to recycle your old PSP or Nintendo handheld, you'll have to do it through other means.
… but it doesn't cover used smartphones
Interestingly, while the program obviously aims to recycle a wide variety of electronics, it doesn’t seem to cover used smartphones. This means that large businesses that might want to unload and recycle a lot of mobile phones won’t be able to take advantage of this program.
That’s not to say that Samsung hasn’t made efforts towards achieving material neutrality for its handsets. Just last week, the company partnered with Closing the Loop and T-Mobile in the Netherlands. This alliance guarantees that every Galaxy S10e purchased through the mobile carrier in the country will result in a scrap phone being properly recycled from the e-waste landfills of Ghana and Uganda.
