Infineon Technologies is leading the way in the payment card industry’s efforts to drastically cut CO2 emissions and plastic waste. The company announced the debut of SECORA Pay Green, which makes it possible to design cards that use locally produced and ecologically friendly materials. It aims to create the first totally recyclable contactless (dual-interface) payment card bodies in the industry.
Initial pilots with issuing banks will be triggered by SECORA Pay Green-related activities. In order to get ready for mass manufacturing, Infineon is also collaborating with top payment card manufacturers and payment schemes.
The adoption of environmentally friendly payment cards will be fueled in large part by the successful completion of the initial pilots as the industry develops.
A new generation of payment card technology, contactless payment is pioneered by Infineon’s SECORA Pay Green. A separate copper wire antenna must be embedded in the card using multiple layers of material, such as inlay foils, for conventional payment cards. Conventional contactless payment cards are nearly impossible to recycle due to these layers and the copper wire antenna that runs the length of the card.
On the other hand, Infineon’s new SECORA Pay Green solution, which combines the environmentally friendly Coil-on-Module (eCoM) packaging that houses the security controller and all software components and integrates the contactless antenna, sets a new benchmark for the recycling of dual-interface payment cards.
The entire eCoM package can be taken out of the card and thrown away as electronic waste after the card’s useful life is over. Depending on the material, the uniform card body can subsequently be recycled into paper, plastic, or wood. Additionally, the antenna’s integration reduces expenses and emissions related to the sourcing and transportation of copper wire used in traditional credit cards.
CO2 emissions related to raw material procurement and logistics are reduced by over 60% thanks to the redesigned module design. SECORA Pay Green lowers emissions to 27.10 kg CO2e per 1,000 cards produced using the cutting-edge environmentally friendly eCoM module, as opposed to 90.08 kg CO2e for conventional card systems.
Fast adoption rates are further aided by SECORA Pay Green’s plug-and-play design, which makes it simple to integrate into dual-interface card production facilities already in place.
The eCoM module’s smooth interaction with smartphone antennae is another benefit.
Customers benefit from this in a number of ways, most notably the high level of simplicity and usability in tap-to-mobile situations. Additionally, the solution permits the use of a range of environmentally friendly card materials, including wood, paper, ocean-bound plastic, PLA, rPETG, and recycled PVC (rPVC).
A Move Towards Sustainable Banking
Customers are becoming more interested in financial firms that emphasize sustainable banking practices, according to research. Actually, a sizable majority of customers would rather use eco-friendly payment cards from their bank. In addition, there are more and more laws and rules pertaining to environmental preservation in the financial sector.
Forecasts indicate that by 2028, there will be over 1.2 billion recycled rPVC payment cards distributed globally, which is almost five times more than the 226 million cards shipped in 2022. (Source: 2023 ABI Research)
Key Comments
“As a leading semiconductor company in power systems and IoT, Infineon is committed to driving decarbonization and digitalization,” said Thomas Rosteck, Division President Connected Secure Systems at Infineon. “Our SECORA Pay Green launch not only sets a new standard for sustainable payment cards; we are also paving the way for a more environmentally responsible future in the payment industry. By reducing CO2 emissions and enabling easier recycling, we’re empowering financial institutions and card issuers to positively impact the environment while meeting customers’ increasing demands for eco- friendly solutions.”
“Since 2018 Mastercard and industry partners have been working together developing better, more sustainable card options. Current product offerings have proven that payment cards can be manufactured with improved recyclability from renewable sourcing,” said Joe Pitcher, Vice President Mastercard Sustainable Card Program. “We support innovations like Infineon’s SECORA Pay Green that demonstrate innovative thinking and a willingness to re- engineer products, to reduce their environmental impact. Mastercard encourages vendors to pursue more ambitious emissions reduction goals, and innovate their product portfolios, like Infineon.”
“This new Infineon chip is a game changer for the card industry,” said Toni Thompson, EVP Credit and Debit Solutions at CPI. “As a leading card producer, CPI has a long-term strategic relationship with Infineon. We’ve already begun incorporating this new chip into our wide range of card materials designed to help our clients stay top-of-wallet with their accountholders. The SECORA Pay Green chip further enables our shift towards even more eco-focused options while continuing to deliver convenience and innovation to our customers.”
“One of Perfect Plastic’s missions is to find renewable and recycled products for card manufacturing,” said Mike Sabatini, Senior Vice President Manufacturing, Perfect Plastic Printing. “Our continued partnership with Infineon has enabled us to find these alternatives for card manufacturing with minimal environmental impact and lower carbon footprint. The launch of the new SECORA Pay Green solution will let card manufacturers and banks continue issuing innovative, secured cards reducing carbon emissions during the card manufacturing process by double-digit quantities.”
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