Starling Bank is introducing a recycled plastic debit card from Mastercard.

The card, 75 per cent of which is made from EU industrial waste from printing and packaging industries, is the first UK Mastercard debit card to be made from recycled plastic (rPVC).

Announcing the change as part of its efforts to promote sustainability, Starling said that the majority of the 97 million debit cards in circulation in the UK are made from first-use PVC.

The new rPVC cards will reduce demand for new plastic production, Starling said, with each kilo of rPVC will replacing its equivalent of new PVC in the market, with two kilos of CO2 being saved for each kilo of the material used. A total of 25 per cent of the card is made up of unavoidable non-recycled elements, including the card’s chip and magstripe.
Starling recently became a founder signatory of the TechZero group.

Along with 14 other high growth tech companies, Starling Bank joined the ‘Tech Zero taskforce’ to help tackle the climate crisis and make the UK the top global destination for green investment.

Starling is asking customers not to cancel their current cards for the new version, as 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.

Paul Trueman, senior vice president, product advancement in cyber & intelligence at Mastercard said: “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.”

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