OLED Panels More Eco-friendly than LCD Panels

LG Display officials dismantle plastic compounds from used LCD TVs on May 13.

Manufacturing a 65-inch LCD panel requires 5.2 kg of plastic, while the amount of plastic used for an OLED panel is a mere 0.43 kg. The plastic used for an LCD panel is difficult to recycle as it is a complex material.

LG Display shipped 15,000 OLED panels during the first quarter of 2021. By producing OLED panels instead of LCD panels, it reduced plastic consumption by 71,550 tons.

As the company reduces plastic consumption, it also emits less harmful substances. According to the company’s analysis, OLED TV panels reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds, which are known to cause atopy and other new home syndromes, by more than 50 percent compared to LCD TV panels.

As OLED panels emit less harmful substances, recycling parts for them is also easier than those for LCD panels. According to LG Display, the product recycling rate of OLED TV panels is 92.2 percent, which is more than 20 percentage points higher than that of LCD TV panels. The company uses recyclable iron as materials for OLED panel parts.

LG Display introduced the Eco Index in 2019. The index is an indicator that evaluates recycling rates and checks whether harmful substances are used. LG Display introduced the index to strengthen environmental, social, governance (ESG) management.

LG Display's ESG management is duly recognized by foreign evaluation institutions. In April, the display giant received the highest grade of Leadership A in the Climate Change Response and Water Management Outstanding Company Evaluation announced by the CDP, a global sustainability evaluation agency. In 2020, the company reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent compared to 2014.

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