Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ Busan plant certified for zero waste

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, an electronic part manufacturing affiliate of Samsung Electronics, said Friday the company’s Busan plant has received international certification for its efforts to minimize industrial waste.

Underwriters Laboratory, a global safety certification institution, has validated the Samsung affiliate’s Busan plant that manufactures key components including multilayer ceramic capacitors with a gold grade for its efforts to reduce landfill waste.

Underwriters Laboratory offers landfill waste diversion claim validations to recognize companies that handle waste in environmentally responsible and innovative ways. It requires at least 90 percent diversion through methods other than waste to energy to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill. (Silver is 90 to 94 percent, Gold 95 to 99 percent and Platinum 100 percent).

The Samsung unit’s Busan factory reached 97.2 percent in average resource circulation, over 10 percentage points better than the country’s average at 86.5 percent, the company said.

It has continued investing in establishing facilities needed for reducing industrial waste and diverting resources in waste for other uses since 2019.

For example, the company has enhanced its flocculation facility for copper to reuse the metal found in wastewater. It recycles 150 tons of wastewater every month.

“For sustainable management, the company prioritizes profit, people and planet,” said Kyung Kye-hyun, CEO of Samsung Electro-Mechanics. “Samsung Electro-Mechanics will raise its status as a green IT company by taking responsibilities throughout the entire manufacturing process.”

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)