The company launched a series of eco-friendly credit card made from recycled plastic or bio-sourced materials.

Each year, the amount of plastic used to produce banking cards is equivalent to the weight of 150 Boeing 747s (roughly 340 tons). Also, the six billion banking cards made every year produce a carbon footprint equal to 500,000 passengers flying from New York to Sydney.

Taking into account this information, the team at Thales came up with a few solutions for banks in order to avoid producing more plastic waste.

One of the methods found by Thales to avoid avoid plastic waste is to use alternative eco-friendly materials. Thales Gemalto Bio Sourced PLA cards replace 84% of fossil-based PVC with bio-sourced PLA - polylactic acid - made from non-edible corn.

Plastic waste is also having a devastating impact on our oceans. Thales Gemalto Reclaimed Ocean cards are made using 70% plastic cleared from coastal areas. One card contains roughly the equivalent of one reclaimed plastic bottle.

The third solution brought by Thales in an effort to reduce the usage materials for banking cards is the Thales Gemalto Recycled PVC card, that helps banks use less first-use plastic. The cards are made using plastic waste from the packaging and printing industries, and contain 85% less first-use PVC.

Here you can find out more details about Thales' initiatives to achieve a reduction in negative environmental impacts such as energy consumption, carbon footprint, and plastic waste.