Woman outside using laptop and credit card to make a purchase

Eco-Focused Cards

Designed to Reduce the Use of First-Use Plastic

Support sustainability goals while appealing to eco-conscious cardholders
Eco Focused
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Become a part of the movement to protect the planet®

Demonstrate a commitment to more sustainable solutions through the use of payment cards that incorporate recycled materials into the card’s construction.

Together, we can help turn the payments industry into a positive force for sustainability by focusing attention on alternatives to first-use plastic.

As a leader in the U.S. market for eco-focused cards, CPI is proud to have sold more than 100 million since launching in 2019.

All of CPI's eco-focused cards are:

Compliant with EMVCo

Certified by the major payment

Dual interface capable

In a CPI survey conducted by an independent research firm, debit and credit cardholders indicated they are “concerned” about plastic waste.

73%

indicated that it is important that their financial institution is environmentally-conscious

89%

are concerned about plastic waste in landfills

93%

are concerned about plastic waste in the oceans

CPI consumer insights fielded November 2022 n2100

CPI Second Wave and Earthwise cards

Earthwise®

rPVC
Recycled Polyvinyl Chloride

CPI Earthwise Card

The rPVC card product is an economical, eco-focused option that makes an ideal entry-point for financial institutions looking to appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers. Substituting traditional PVC with a recycled option represents a reduction in first-use plastic and extends the useful life of plastic waste that otherwise may have gone directly to a landfill.

Second Wave®

Payment cards featuring a core made with recovered ocean-bound plastic

CPI Second Wave Card

CPI estimates that for every one million Second Wave® payment cards produced, over one ton of plastic will be diverted from entering the world’s oceans, waterways and shorelines.

Make sustainability a part of transitioning
card portfolios to contactless cards

Adopting dual interface chip and antenna technology can be a compelling reason
to shift to eco-focused card materials and combine efforts into one initiative.

Introducing more eco-focused payment cards requires a knowledgeable partner and choice

CPI developed a portfolio of eco-focused card products featuring upcycled materials to reduce the use of first-use plastic in the card’s construction.

Leading the way towards a more environmentally-friendly future for payments, CPI offers upcycled material options and can help you decide which material is best suited for your debit or credit card program. Carry your sustainability mission through to your carriers and collateral. We can help with recycled options for companion materials.

Our Certifications

CPI strives to lead the industry in eco-focused products and we’re proud to have had our efforts reviewed by independent organizations.

CPI was the first company to become a licensee of the ICMA EcoLabel Standard Program, created by the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), to recognize card manufacturer members for their commitment to sustainability and for specific card products that meet program requirements. The program establishes measurable criteria for assessing the environmental impact of transaction and identification cards for the purpose of ICMA EcoLabel Standard Program certification.
All of CPIs eco-focused products have achieved certification under the ICMA EcoLabel Standard Program.

THE ECOLABEL LOGO IS ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CARD MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (“ICMA”), AN INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION, TO THOSE CARD MANUFACTURERS THAT VOLUNTARILY MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: (A) AT LEAST 25% REDUCED MATERIALS, (B) CONTAINS NO LESS THAN 25% RECYCLED CONTENT, (C) THE CARD IS COMPOSTABLE IN MUNICIPAL, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, OR (D) CONTAINS NO LESS THAN 40% BIOBASED CONTENT. VIRTUALLY ALL PRODUCTS IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON WHICH ATTRIBUTES ICMA EVALUATED AND THE REQUIREMENTS TO USE THE ECOLABEL LOGO, VISIT https://icma.com/resources/ecolabel-program.
For further details on which attributes ICMA evaluated and the requirements to use the ecolabel logo, visit https://icma.com/resources/ecolabel-program
According to Mastercard, “the Mastercard Sustainable Materials Directory aims to help issuers offer more eco-friendly cards to consumers” and they have issued a sustainability badge to identify cards that have been certified through the program as meeting current industry benchmarks. CPI encourages Mastercard issuers purchasing Second Wave® and Earthwise® rPVC cards to add the Mastercard Sustainable Card Badge to their debit or credit cards. Since 2020 CPI has also been a proud member of the Greener Payment Partnership (GPP) formed by Mastercard and other major card manufacturers with a goal to reduce first-use PVC plastic in card manufacturing. In January 2023, the GPP collectively authored A Guide to Issuing Sustainable Cards.

Our Awards

2022 Winner

Business Intelligence Group
Earth Elements

Sustainability Product of the Year

2020 Gold Stevie® Winner

American Business Awards
Second Wave®

Product & Service

Business-to-Business Products Category

2021 Gold Stevie® Winner

American Business Awards
Earthwise® rPET-G

Product & Service

Business-to-Business Products Category

2021 Winner

International Card Manufacturers Association
Second Wave®

Best Secure Environmentally Friendly Payment Card

2021 Finalist

Second Wave®

Best Secure Payment Card

2022 Finalist

PayTech Awards

Best Green Initiative

Earth Elements

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