Mastercard is enhancing its commitment to sustainability by pledging to eliminate all first-use PVC plastics from its newly manufactured cards by January 2028.
Starting from this date, all plastic payment cards produced by Mastercard will be crafted from more environmentally friendly materials, including recycled plastics (rPVC, rPET) and bio-sourced materials such as PLA. This policy change includes a certification process, whereby each new card will be assessed for its composition and sustainability claims, with validation from an independent third-party auditor.
The company is dedicated to aiding its global issuing partners in this transition away from virgin PVC. This initiative builds upon efforts initiated in 2018, during which Mastercard collaborated with over 330 issuers across 80 countries and partnered with leading card manufacturers to convert more than 168 million cards on its network to recycled and bio-based materials.
Ajay Bhalla, President of Cyber and Intelligence at Mastercard, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “As our customers increasingly seek to make eco-friendly choices, we are reaffirming our commitment to reducing our environmental impact for the benefit of society, the planet, and inclusive growth.”