Santander has said that by 2025, all of its debit, credit, and pre-paid cards across Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK will be made of sustainable materials like PVC or a corn-based plastic substitute.

The bank said that using these materials would help save over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, which it claimed is equivalent to the energy consumption of nearly 1,000 households.

Santander, which has over 30 million debit, credit, and pre-paid cards in Europe, is also simplifying its card offering by reducing card options by over 30 per cent by 2021.

“Reducing unnecessary use of plastics is a critically important step in the group’s transition to a green economy,” said António Simões, regional head of Europe at Banco Santander. “By moving to eco cards, we are reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions. This is a great example of what we can do by using the collective strength One Santander in Europe, leveraging our global scale and delivering a better service to customers.”

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