CPI Card Group Inc., a payment technology company and leading provider of credit, debit and prepaid solutions, announced that it has sold over 50 million of its eco-focused payment cards. This significant milestone for its Earth Elements™ portfolio showcases the momentum that started with the launch of CPI’s Second Wave® payment card in 2019, followed by the introductions of the Earthwise™ recycled PET-G Card and Earthwise™ recycled PVC Card in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

“Developing the Earth Elements™ payment card portfolio has been one of our proudest accomplishments at CPI, as it represents a whole new way of thinking about payment cards,” said Terra Grantham, VP, Strategy and ESG, CPI Card Group. “Through our efforts, we’ve broadened the availability of eco-focused materials that are available for the card market and put a spotlight on the environmental concerns that consumers and card issuers share. Reaching this milestone of having sold over 50 million payment cards validates those efforts. The whole team is looking forward to continuing our work and growing our opportunities to make a positive impact with these products.”

Second Wave^®, a Gold Stevie^® Award winner, is available to financial payment card issuers and markets including transit, hospitality, retail and more. The EMV® compliant and dual-interface capable card features a core made with recovered ocean-bound plastic, allowing companies to engage the growing market of environmentally-conscious consumers while also helping reduce first-use plastic and divert plastic waste from entering the ocean. The Company estimates that for every one million Second Wave® cards sold, over one ton of plastic will be diverted from entering the world’s oceans, waterways and shorelines.

See related article: ERI Applauds its Electronics Industry Manufacturing and Retail Partners for Achieving EPA Recognition and Awards

The Earthwise™ recycled Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (rPET-G) card, also a Gold Stevie^® Award winner, is available to issuers across card industry segments, from financial institutions to fintechs. The high content card is the first payment card made with up to 98 percent upcycled plastic, depending on design, that is EMV® compliant and dual-interface capable. The Earthwise™ rPET-G card is aimed at reducing first-use PVC in payment cards by using plastic waste that might otherwise end up in a landfill. The second Earthwise™ recycled Polyvinyl Chloride (rPVC) card from CPI features up to 85 percent upcycled PVC. The card is also EMV® compliant and dual-interface capable, enabling both contact and contactless payment.

“We applaud our customers and partners for helping us bring greater environmental responsibility to the payments industry and making this milestone possible,” added Grantham.

Source: CPI Card Group