Samsung weighing options to limit Galaxy Note 7 environmental impact

Samsung is weighing options to limit the potential environmental impact of disposing of the Galaxy Note 7 that the company recently killed after reported cases of the phone catching fire.

"We recognise the concerns around the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 and are currently reviewing possible options that can minimise the environmental impact of the recall in full compliance with relevant local environmental regulations," Samsung told Reuters in a statement.

Last month the company said it would dispose of all the recalled Note 7 devices and not repair, refurbish or resell them. Without detailing anything about the process, a spokesperson just said: "We have a process in place to safely dispose of the phones."

Samsung's latest remark comes after environmental group Greenpeace issued a statement earlier this week urging Samsung to reveal its plan about disposing of the recalled phones.

Samsung did not refer to Greenpeace in its statement. The organisation said the company was considering dumping 4.3 million Note 7 units, which is "equivalent to almost 730,000 kilograms of hi-spec technology!"

The company sold 1.8 million Note 7 in 10 countries such as South Korea, the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the UAE and China. It has already recalled all the Note 7 units including the original and replacement devices, and is still collecting the affected devices from its stores and partners worldwide.

The phones contain rare resources like gold, cobalt and tungsten that could be recovered, instead of being thrown away, the group pointed out.

Jude Lee, senior IT campaigner at Greenpeace, said: "Greenpeace is calling on Samsung to be transparent and publish its plan to deal with dismantling and disposing these phones. We also urge Samsung not to dump or burn the devices. It would be truly innovative if Samsung avoided the huge waste and environmental impact that comes from dumping and burning these devices!"

"The world is watching how Samsung will respond to this crisis. Now is the perfect opportunity for the brand to show leadership and vision, breaking with the old ways and opening the door to rethinking how it designs, sells and reuses its electronics," Lee said.