The Galaxy S22 will use plastic from recycled fishing nets

The Galaxy S22 has leaked extensively, but there’s only so much you can tell from renders. For example, it turns out that Samsung has created a “new material” to use in the product — one made from the plastic in discarded fishing nets.

Samsung says it’ll soon “incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics” across its whole product lineup, and the first example will be the Galaxy devices introduced at the Unpacked event this Wednesday, February 9th. It’s not yet clear to what extent the material will be used or in which parts of the products; Samsung isn’t explicit about how it fits into any of the devices’ construction.

Citing a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that says 640,000 tons of fishing nets are discarded in the oceans every year, Samsung says these “ghost nets” pose a threat to marine life and coral reefs. “These discarded fishing nets are disrupting the delicate balance of our environment at an alarming rate,” the company writes in a blog post. “Collecting and repurposing these nets are vital first steps in keeping our oceans clean as well as preserving the planet and our collective future.”

It is a small first step, but one that Samsung will no doubt aim to highlight further on Wednesday when it launches the new Galaxy devices. The event begins at 10AM ET.