Samsung launches eco-friendly apple skin watch straps

Samsung has announced six limited edition watch straps for the Galaxy Watch 4, made from recyclable and environmentally friendly materials, including apple peel. The range was produced in collaboration with Sami Miró, a fashion designer whose previous collections have used recycled materials. The bands are available today, with prices starting at $ 39.99.

There are six models included in the collection. The “Midnight Black” and “Stratus Sky” bands are made from 100% apple peel “recovered from the fruit industry”. Samsung claims the material has the “premium look of leather” while clearly not from animals. The other four models (“Aurora Night”, “Cloud Navy”, “Earth Sunrise” and “Dawn Atlas”) are made of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material which Samsung claims is recyclable.

Image: Samsung

Along with watch straps, Samsung is also releasing a collection of three complementary free watch faces available for download from the Google Play Store.

Yes, the more sustainable choice will always be to use the bracelet that came with your smartwatch, but if you are considering purchasing a replacement bracelet, it’s good to know that efforts have been made to reduce your environmental footprint. Personally, I hope that future Samsung smartwatches will use these materials as standard, rather than just optional accessories.

Samsung already uses sustainable materials in its packaging, and since last year its sites in the United States, China and Europe were powered 100% by renewable energy (not all of them are regions, like Korea, but Samsung says it’s working there). But, it still has a lot of work to do to reduce the environmental impact of its devices themselves, especially when it comes to repairability.