Green Fintech Payments

Mastercard Pledges to Have Full Roll Out of Sustainable Cards by 2028

Payments giant Mastercard announced that it is accelerating efforts to remove first–use, PVC plastics from payment cards on its network by 2028.

The firm said that this move further reinforces its sustainability commitments and scales the accessibility of more sustainable card offerings for consumers seeking a way to reduce the environmental impact of their wallet.

Mastercard will support its global issuing partners through the transition away from virgin PVC.

From 1 January 2028, all newly–produced Mastercard plastic payment cards will be made from more sustainable materials – including recycled or bio-sourced plastics such as rPVC, rPET, or PLA1 – and approved through a certification programme, in what is touted to be a first move for a payment network.

Mastercard will certify all newly made cards to assess their composition and sustainability claims. This certification will then be validated by an independent third-party auditor. Once a card has been validated it can be imprinted with a Card Eco Certification mark.

The company launched its Sustainable Card Programme in 2018. Since then, over 330 issuers across 80 countries have signed up, working in partnership with major card manufacturers to transition more than 168 million cards across its network to recycled and bio-based materials.

In the same year, the company launched the Greener Payments Partnership through Mastercard’s Digital Security Lab with card manufacturers Gemalto, Giesecke+Devrient and IDEMIA to reduce the use of first-use PVC plastic in card manufacturing.

It then launched the Mastercard Card Eco-Certification (CEC) scheme in 2021.

Ajay Bhalla

“At Mastercard we are leading and shaping our industry’s collective pursuit of a more sustainable, more environmentally conscious future.

As our customers respond to increased consumer desire to make more eco-friendly choices, we are making a firm commitment to reducing our environmental footprint – for the benefit of people, planet and inclusive growth.”

said Ajay Bhalla, President of Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard.

Ellen Jackowski

“Mastercard is committed to advancing climate action and reducing waste by driving our business toward net zero emissions and leveraging our network and scale to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, regenerative economy,”

said Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer for Mastercard.