Your old phone might be powering the Galaxy S25 and here's how Samsung makes it happen

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A photo of a person holding the Galaxy S25 Ultra in their hands.
When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S25 series in January, it also introduced its Circular Battery Supply Chain program. This initiative focuses on sustainability by collecting old Galaxy phones and recycling their batteries to create new batteries for the Galaxy S25 lineup.

Actually, for the first time, this closed-loop battery recycling system is being applied to Samsung's flagship series and now the company has revealed even more details on how the process works.

According to Samsung, its production facilities in Vietnam collect about 200 tons of waste battery material annually. Some countries with advanced recycling systems repurpose these materials for things like electric vehicle batteries, but Vietnam lacks the necessary infrastructure.

And to address this gap and promote sustainability, Samsung says it took matters into its own hands, setting up a solution to ensure that these materials don't go to waste.

– Youngmin Kim, Circular Economy Lab in the Global Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Office at Samsung, March 2025

So, first, the company collects old Galaxy devices. Then, the next step is to remove the batteries, discharge them and shred them into smaller pieces.

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Video credit – Samsung

– Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung, March 2025

The third step involves processing these shredded pieces into a fine powder called "black mass," which is then refined to extract recycled cobalt.

– Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung, March 2025

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In the following stage, the extracted cobalt is used to create cathode materials. Finally, these cathode materials are used to produce the batteries for the Galaxy S25.

Cobalt plays an important role in ensuring the stability and performance of lithium-ion batteries in smartphones. Why? Well, lithium moves electrons within the battery, but cobalt helps facilitate the movement of lithium, guaranteeing the battery operates at its best.



In short, the Circular Battery Supply Chain begins with collecting used Galaxy devices, followed by the disassembly and shredding of their batteries. The shredded material is processed into "black mass," from which cobalt is extracted and used to create the cathode materials for the Galaxy S25 batteries.

What this all means is that Samsung has successfully implemented a closed-loop battery recycling system with the Circular Battery Supply Chain, bringing its 2022 environmental vision to life with the new Galaxy S25.

Actually, the whole smartphone industry is more focused on sustainability lately. Apple, for example, leads the 2024 list of retailers adopting greener practices with safer chemicals and eco-friendly initiatives. On the other hand, Google has made strides by launching its Certified Refurbished Phone program in the US.
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