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Starling is introducing debit cards from recycled plastic

That’s the first UK Mastercard debit card to be made from recycled plastic (rPVC)

Starling rPVC

Starling is introducing debit cards from recycled plastic. Source: starlingbank.com

Starling is introducing a recycled plastic debit card to support its efforts to protect the planet. rPVC, the material, which is sourced from EU industrial waste from printing and packaging industries, makes up 75% of the card.

According to information, there are over 97 million debit cards in circulation in the UK, and the majority of them are made from the first-use PVC.

The new rPVC cards are expected to reduce the demand for new plastic production. Each kilo of rPVC will replace its equivalent of new PVC in the market, with two kilos of CO2 being saved for each kilo of the material used.

Only 25% of the card is made up of unavoidable non-recycled elements, including the card’s chip and magstripe.

Meanwhile, the bank is asking customers not to cancel their current cards for the new version. That’s because the design will remain the same and it will create unnecessary waste. Existing customers will receive the recycled card when their current one expires and new customers will be issued the card upon joining the bank.

We are helping banks like Starling offer more eco-friendly cards to consumers – put simply, it’s better for the environment, it’s better for business and it meets evolving consumer needs. We’re delighted to see Starling making the first move in the UK and to see efforts on sustainability gaining traction across the globe. We hope more organizations will join us, as we collectively use our power for good to address these pressing environmental challenges
Paul Trueman, Senior Vice President, Product Advancement, Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard

We’ve reported that Deutsche Bank launched an app tracking customers’ carbon footprint.

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