Seoul: South Korea's home appliances giant LG Electronics Inc. aims to collect 8 million tons of old appliances for recycling by 2030 as part of efforts to promote the circular economy, company officials said Tuesday. The initiative forms part of the company's broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) vision of "Better Life for All."
According to Yonhap News Agency, the company has already retrieved a combined 5 million tons of discarded appliances globally since 2006. As part of its Earth Day celebrations on April 22, LG Electronics also collected 2,850 kilograms of electronic gadgets and home appliances discarded by its employees.
LG Electronics has been running a program for the collection and recycling of old home appliances in 54 countries, including the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Philippines, the Arab Emirates, and Nigeria. This initiative allows the company to reduce its carbon emissions and promote a circular economy by sorting reusable parts from waste electronic products and reprocessing them.
A company official stated, "We plan to use some 600,000 tons of recycled plastic in our product manufacturing between 2021 and 2030." This effort is part of LG Electronics' commitment to environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.