Hong Kong (CNN Business) Samsung is joining a growing number of international companies that are pledging to reduce the amount of plastic waste from their businesses.

The world's largest smartphone maker is starting to ditch the plastic packaging typically used to wrap and protect electronic devices and appliances.

Starting in the first half of this year, Samsung phones, tablets and wearable devices will be packaged in paper, pulp molds and bio-based or recycled plastics, the company said in a statement Sunday . It will also alter the design of its phone charger, replacing the glossy exterior with a matte finish and ditching plastic protection films.

A company spokeswoman said the reduction of single-use plastics in Samsung's packaging will progress "gradually," adding that there is no timetable for when they will be phased out completely.

Multiple generations of the Samsung Galaxy phone displayed at a booth at CES 2019 in Las Vegas.

As the world struggles to deal with vast amounts plastic waste — plastics are expected to outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050 — more and more companies are trying to tackle the problem.

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