Samsung embarks on Note 7 rare materials recovery

Samsung will recover 157 tonnes of rare metal from recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, as well as reuse components from the fire-prone devices.

The company, the world’s largest smartphone marker, is attempting to minimise the environmental impact resulting from the Galaxy Note 7 recall and will recover metals including cobalt, copper, gold and silver from components which cannot be reused.

Samsung said it planned to reuse components including camera modules, chips and displays for devices sent in for repair, and the parts could be sold as it looks to mitigate some of the financial damage and address environmental concerns around the disposal of devices.

Approximately 3.06 million Note 7s were sold before the company issued a second and final recall in October 2016, following numerous cases of the devices catching fire. The company is banking on its latest flagship, the Galaxy S8, to revive its reputation and boost sales, after the Galaxy Note 7 failure cost it more than $5 billion in operating profit.

The company also recently launched a Galaxy Note 7 reboot in South Korea, with 400,000 available in its home market.