Obviously when it comes to producing technology there's only so much which can actually be done to ensure that the precious metals, plastics and soldering that you're working with and creating are environmentally friendly, but the Samsung Galaxy S4 is apparently particularly good at being green!
That's why the device has been awarded TCO certification and TCO themselves are focused on sustainability in IT products and they're keen to promote any products which meet standards for being environmentally good, economically stringent and that are manufactured in a socially responsible way! Each of these conditions is discussed in the justification for the award which can be seen below:
"In the social category, Samsung demonstrated that it is committed to socially responsible manufacturing and is compliant with International Labour Organization and United Nation conventions. In the environmental category, it was found that the GALAXY S4 was free from many hazardous materials such as nickel, beryllium, and mercury which, if present, would have severely restricted its potential to be recycled at the end its lifecycle. In terms of economic viability, the power efficiency of the charger was praised, as was the smartphone’s industrial design which boosts reliability."Samsung have also said this isn't the first time the Galaxy S4 has been praised for being green: apparently it won UL's Ecologo certification earlier in the year!
Via AndroidCentral.