Page 32 - Plastics News April 2023

Mastercard Accelerates Move Toward Sustainable Plastics in Cards
tive economy.”

Helen Bierton, chief banking officer at
Starling Bank, also explained how the
move represents an important change
for banking. She said: “This initiative is
a welcome next step in the journey to
a sustainable future. As one of the first
banks to remove first-use PVC from
our debit cards, we know how impor-
tant this is to our customers.”

“We recognise this can only be
achieved with strong partnerships and
support for the efforts by Mastercard
to widen the programme to its entire
network.”
eginning 1 January 2028, all new- bility claims; this certification will then
Bly-produced plastic Mastercard be validated by an independent third- Taylan Turan, group head of retail
payment cards must be made from party auditor. Once a card has been banking and strategy, wealth and per-
sustainable plastics. Such materials in- validated it can be imprinted with a sonal banking at HSBC, said: “This
clude recycled or bio-sourced plastics ‘Card Eco Certification’ mark. announcement from Mastercard is a
(such as rPVC, rPET, or PLA) and will huge step for financial services. New
be approved through a certification Ajay Bhalla, president of cyber and sustainable materials, such as rPVC,
program. Mastercard will also support intelligence at Mastercard, said: “Mas- offer our sector a clear way to accel-
its global issuing partners through the tercard is leading and shaping our in- erate its efforts to build a more sus-
transition away from virgin PVC. dustry’s collective pursuit of a more tainable future.
sustainable, more environmentally
Mastercard launched its Sustainable conscious future. As our customers “As part of our net zero strategies at
Card Program in 2018. Since its in- respond to increased consumer desire HSBC, we’ve already introduced re-
ception, over 330 issuers across 80 to make more eco-friendly choices, cycled plastic payment cards across
countries have signed up, working in we are making a firm commitment to 28 of our global markets and embed-
partnership with major card manu- reducing our environmental footprint ded the requirement to use sustain-
facturers to transition more than 168 – for the benefit of people, planet and able materials for all debit, credit and
million cards across its network to re- inclusive growth.” commercial cards in our product gov-
cycled and bio-based materials. ernance; removing 85 tonnes of plas-
Reactions to the move tic that would have ended up in the
Mastercard’s latest announcement landfill.
looks to accelerate these efforts, while Ellen Jackowski, chief sustainability of-
also complimenting the company’s ficer for Mastercard, explained Mas- “This level of impact couldn’t be
work to deliver innovative, digital-first tercard’s sustainability aims. Jackows- achieved without a strong partner-
card programs that entirely eliminate ki said: “Mastercard is committed to ship; I am so proud for us to be a part
the need for a physical card offering. advancing climate action and reducing of a movement which is gathering
waste by driving our business toward momentum across the world.”
The rule change will see all newly net zero emissions and leveraging our
made cards certified by Mastercard to network and scale to accelerate the
assess their composition and sustaina- transition to a low-carbon, regenera-

32 PLASTICS NEWS April 2023