Fintech startup Ekko is harnessing consumer concerns about climate change with the introduction of a sustainable debit card, currently available for pre-registration.
With the Ekko debit card, customers contribute to environmental conservation with every purchase. Specifically, after every five transactions, funds will be allocated to collect one plastic bottle before it can enter the ocean. Additionally, after every 50 transactions, a tree will be planted in the customer’s name.
Users can monitor their environmental impact through a feature called the “Carbonmeter,” available in the Ekko app, which tracks their contributions to a personal forest, the number of bottles collected, and their overall carbon footprint. The app also offers access to a curated selection of sustainable partners, promoting eco-friendly products and services.
Ekko aims to plant over 50 million trees and prevent more than 500 million plastic bottles from reaching the oceans within the next five years.
The first Mastercard debit cards, issued by Paynetics, are set to be launched in June. According to Ekko’s co-founder and CEO, Oli Cook: “To make a significant impact, we realized we had to innovate existing financial models and create an ecosystem that empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully to climate change, without requiring them to alter their everyday behavior.”