LG’s strategy for the future: upcycling vs. recycling

An idea that has been used in fashion for decades, upcycling is the reusing of discarded objects or materials to create something new. Growing in popularity in the world of technology, it provides a new lease of life for products that have reached the end of their shelf life. 

Some popular examples of upcycling include using fabric as gift wrap or making a bed frame from shipping pallets. Upcycling can also refer to repairing and refurbishing an obsolete appliance into a new product.

A concept that has been around far longer, recycling is an industrial process that involves the destruction of waste in order to create something new. This could be the same product again or a completely different one which uses the same materials. 

Most of us are familiar with recycling at home, but there’s more to it than tins and bottles. Keep reading to see how LG gives some products and materials a second chance at life.

LG has embarked on a mission to promote ‘Sustainable Living’ through various environmentally conscious initiatives this year. To mitigate carbon emissions and improve air quality, LG collaborated with the One Tree Planted organisation to host a tree-planting event at IFA 2023.  

Over 2,200 participants cast their votes to greenify urban areas and, as a testament to its commitment, LG is set to contribute 3,000 trees to support the cause.  

Under the theme of Sustainable Life, Joy for All, LG unveiled a wide range of new products and showcased at IFA 2023. The event featured multiple exhibits centred around conscious living and consumption, including:

To help visitors understand the production process, the Upcycling Workshop Zone gave attendees a hands-on understanding of the difference between upcycling and recycling with the ‘plastic knot challenge’. This activity involved the use of plastic pieces produced by LG’s Chilseo Recycling Centre, giving participants a fun way to make something new from the ‘waste’. 

All good things come to an end, but LG has a plan for its exhibition materials even though IFA is over. LG also plans to recycle the fabric that was used to construct the exhibition booths. Additionally, the featured appliances from each exhibition will be donated after the event.

One of the ways that LG is giving products a new lease of life is by using ‘urban mining’, which involves recovering and sorting raw materials that can be used in the creation of new products.³ This includes materials such as plastic, iron and non-ferrous metals. 

Another major upcycling project was unveiled in 2021 when the LG Recycling Centre in South Korea implemented a resource circulation program. This involves harvesting raw materials from disposed-of home appliances. After the materials are meticulously sorted and processed, the pieces are then made into fresh, eco-minded appliance components.

By 2030, LG estimates that it will have recovered around eight million tons of out-of-use appliances for the purpose of extracting materials since the program started in 2006.⁴

While it is important to keep products protected when being transported, we didn’t forget about the packaging. That is why we are currently establishing goals to increase the use of eco-friendly paper and recycled materials, including:

• Using 100% environmentally friendly paper in packaging

• Packing small and medium-sized products in moulds made from recycled paper pulp

• Increasing the use of recycled materials throughout production

The details behind these goals are currently being established, as different products require different roadmaps and processes. But keep reading to learn more about what LG is currently doing when it comes to eco-friendly packaging.

Prescribing a more minimal use of materials and an increased focus on reusing and recycling, all LG home appliances, such as air conditioners, will soon incorporate eco-conscious packaging, this is demonstrated by LG reducing the use of expanded polystyrene by about 19 tons per year.

Some specific products have been certified for their use of recycled materials, including LG OLED evo and LG XBOOM lineups.⁶ LG soundbars are also produced with the planet in mind, and all new models have been made with recycled fabric since 2022.⁷

Ultimately, LG endeavours to continue to improve its practices, from reducing the amount of carbon used when producing and disposing of products to using more eco-friendly materials to make products and packaging, as well as implementing methods to recycling reusable parts.