Recycled cards: a more sustainable way to pay

We now issue recycled plastic (rPVC) payment cards and will phase out single-use PVC cards by the end of 2026.

All cards we issue – including HSBC debit, credit and cooperate cards - will now be made from 85% recycled plastic.

In order to be as sustainable as possible, we'll only replace your card when it naturally expires or is lost, stolen or damaged.

Conventional payment cards are made from polyvinyl chloride acetate (PVC).

The industrial waste produced from this material is challenging. Across the world, 6 billion plastic payment cards are produced every year.

Recycled PVC plastic (rPVC) has the same durability and expiry date (5 years) as the PVC product, but is less harmful to the planet as we're using material that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill.

This is one of the steps we're taking to reduce our carbon emissions and reduce the amount of plastic waste.

The move to rPVC will reduce CO2 emissions by 161 tonnes a year and reduce plastic waste by 73 tonnes per year.¹

This is the CO2 equivalent of 36 flights between the UK and Hong Kong and the weight of over 40 cars in plastic waste.²

These figures are based on the current volume of cards we issue per year (23 million).

From using less plastic to saving energy and reducing waste, more of us are changing our habits and making eco-friendly purchasing decisions.

Small changes can, and do, add up – not only to benefit the environment, but to save you money too.

¹Source: IDEMIA

²Source: The Measure Of Things