Mastercard "Issuing Cards Only with Eco-Friendly Materials Starting in 2028"

Mastercard will issue only cards made from eco-friendly materials such as recycled or bio-based biodegradable plastics starting in 2028.

Mastercard announced on the 31st that this policy will be applied worldwide.

Accordingly, cards made from rPVC (recycled PVC), rPET (recycled PET), and PLA (biodegradable plastic) are expected to be distributed. These materials are plastics commonly used in packaging, construction materials, and recycled containers.

Mastercard estimated that approximately 5g of plastic is used per card, and considering that 3 billion cards are issued worldwide annually, it can replace about 15,000 tons of plastic with eco-friendly materials each year after 2028.

If financial institutions produce sustainable cards using eco-friendly materials, they can engrave eco-certification on the card plates. Mastercard will conduct the certification, and verification will be handled by an independent organization.

Previously, more than 330 banks and card companies from 80 countries worldwide participated in the "Sustainable Card Program," launched by Mastercard in 2018 to promote eco-friendly cards. In the Asia-Pacific region, about 90 financial institutions from 15 markets including South Korea, Japan, and Australia participated. To date, more than 168 million cards worldwide, including 31 million in the Asia-Pacific region, have been replaced with cards made from recycled and bio-based materials.

Sandeep Malhotra, Vice President of Product and Innovation for Mastercard Asia-Pacific, said, "We will strengthen the eco-friendly payment network by connecting financial institutions and consumers who issue and use more than 3 billion Mastercard-branded cards in the future."

Sustainable card by Mastercard (Photo by Mastercard)