Samsung announced that its Galaxy S4 is the world’s first TCO Certified smartphone.
TCO Development, which is an independent body that focuses on sustainability in the IT industry, found Sammy’s flagship device meeting requirements across a variety of criteria including social, environmental and economic viability:
- In the social category, the Korean company demonstrated that it is committed to socially responsible manufacturing and is compliant with International Labour Organization and United Nation conventions.
- In the environmental category, it was found that the Galaxy S4 was free from many hazardous materials like nickel, beryllium and mercury which make recycling a nightmare.
- Finally, Samsung’s power-efficient charger was praised to meet economic viability criteria.
According to TCO Development’s CEO Sören Enholm, by certifying their mobile devices, handset makers like Samsung have a “real opportunity to demonstrate that their products are helping advance more sustainable mobile solutions.”