Samsung and designer Sami Miró have partnered on a limited-edition Galaxy Watch4 watch strap made out of sustainable vegan apple peel leather.
While the watch material may be a slight dig at Samsung’s biggest smartphone competitor, the apple leather is a big win for the planet. A champion of sustainability, Miró used fruit leather from food waste to create the two vegan bands for the Stratus Sky and Midnight Black Sami Miro.
Apple leather, like pineapple leather and the up-and-coming mushroom leather, uses a fraction of the resources needed to produce animal leather. Animal agriculture is a leading producer of greenhouse gas emissions.
Sami Miró
“I am proud that we sourced sustainable materials for the entire collection,” Miró said in a statement. “My designs were inspired by the beauty of our planet, and I want the collection to serve as a reminder to stay mindful and connected to the Earth.”
Miró is known for her love of vintage styles and a celebrity favorite—her fans include Selena Gomez, Drake, Gigi and Anwar Hadid, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, and Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. An impact designer, the Los Angeles-based Miró repurposes vintage materials into modern designs with a slant toward sustainability.
Miró says she designed the Galaxy Watch4 collection with every person and occasion in mind. “The colors Stratus Sky, Cloud Navy, and Midnight Black can translate from day to night while the Aurora Night and Dawn Atlas have gem hues and are perfect for when you are in the mood for a pop of color,” said Sami Miró, founder of Sami Miró Vintage.
Galaxy Watch4 Watchband Collection
The collection features six new watch bands in total; and the other four—Cloud Navy, Aurora Night, Earth Sunrise, and Dawn Atlas—are all made with nontoxic TPU a biodegradable Thermoplastic Polyurethane that is also recyclable and more durable than other eco-friendly materials.
The Galaxy Watch4 series is fitness-oriented, and one of the reasons Miró was so keen to work on the product line.
“I love that the Galaxy Watch4 Classic reminds me to stay on top of my wellness,” Miró said. “The meditation app keeps me grounded, wherever I am. My lifestyle is always on the go and with the Watch4 Classic I can stay connected with work and then transition seamlessly when it’s time to take a break.”
Included in the new smartwatches are wellness features that measure oxygen, stress, water intake, and sleep patterns.
Samsung’s Sustainability Initiatives
Samsung has made efforts to green up its packaging and power. In 2019 it announced it was replacing plastic packaging materials with “environmentally sustainable elements.” It also phased out plastic used in phones, tablets, wearables, and accessory bags. It redesigned chargers to reduce plastic needed there, too, “swapping the glossy exterior with a matte finish.”
In its home appliances—refrigerators, televisions, washers, dryers, and air conditioners—it has also replaced plastic with recycled materials or biomaterials. It also moved to certified paper products made from recycled or renewable materials.
The company also shifted its warehouses and factories to 100 percent renewable energy last year in US, China, and Europe. But like other electronics companies, it still hasn’t figured out how to reduce the impact of devices—both in production, such as the need for rare earth mineral mining, and in repairs or end of life disposal.
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