Mastercard pledges to eliminate first-use PVC plastics from payment cards by 2028

Mastercard is accelerating efforts to remove first–use, PVC plastics from payment cards from its network by 2028. This initiative further reinforces the company’s sustainability commitments and scales the accessibility of more sustainable card offerings for consumers seeking a way to reduce the environmental impact of their wallet.

In a first move for a payment network, from 1 January, 2028, all newly produced Mastercard plastic payment cards will be made from more sustainable materials, including recycled or bio-sourced plastics such as rPVC, rPET, or PLA - and approved through a certification programme. The rule change will also see all newly made cards certified by Mastercard to assess their composition and sustainability claims; this certification will then be validated by an independent third-party auditor. Once a card has been validated it can be imprinted with a card eco certification mark.

Mastercard will support its global issuing partners through the transition away from virgin PVC. According to the company, it has been working with major card manufacturers to transition more than 168 million cards across its network, including 31 million in the Asia Pacific region, to recycled and bio-based materials. According to the release, over 330 issuers across 80 countries, including 90 issuers in 15 markets across the Asia Pacific region, have voluntarily signed up since the launch of sustainable card programme in 2018. The ultimate goal is to fully eliminate the need for a physical card.

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“The world has a plastic problem. Solving it will be a whole-of-society task, yet efforts are often taken in isolation or without coordination. With this sustainable cards effort, Mastercard is bringing its global network of banks, financial institutions and consumers – who collectively hold more than 3 billion Mastercard cards – together to build a greener payments sector through collaboration and partnership,” said Sandeep Malhotra, executive vice president, products & innovation, Asia Pacific, Mastercard.

“Here in the Asia Pacific region, Mastercard’s issuer partners have been very receptive to this initiative, with 90 customers already opting into the sustainable cards program across Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and many other markets. This means their cardholders can proudly carry their card with the knowledge that it is made from sustainable forms of plastic. This holistic network connectivity is what makes this effort different and more effective,” Malhotra added.

The initiative also comes as Mastercard is committed to advancing climate action and reducing waste by driving its business toward net zero emissions and leveraging its network and scale to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, regenerative economy, according to Ellen Jackowski, chief sustainability officer of Mastercard.  

Mastercard launched its Sustainable Card Programme in 2018. Since then, over 330 issuers across 80 countries have voluntarily signed up, including 90 issuers in 15 markets across the Asia Pacific region. Since then, Mastercard has been working in partnership with major card manufacturers to transition more than 168 million cards across its network, including 31 million in the APAC region, to recycled and bio-based materials. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Mastercard for more information.

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