The modern world is placing great emphasis on 'going green', and it can be a move that benefits your business greatly. It means choosing a lifestyle that promotes the preservation and conservation of our planet's natural resources, biodiversity, and habitats. In the world of photo IDs, it has long been the standard to use cards made of PVC plastic, but this petroleum-based material is not biodegradable and does no favors for your green credentials. If you want your company to do more to help preserve the environment, one thing you can do is opt for one of the following types of an eco-friendly smart card.

THERMO-REWRITE PLASTIC CARDS

These types of cards feature an extra thermo-sensitive layer that enables them to be imprinted in black or blue multiple times. This is perfect for ID cards, where the printed area needs to change. Rather than having to dispose of an old card and replace it with a new one, you can recycle the existing one indefinitely, vastly reducing your plastic waste. Not only will these recyclable cards improve your environmental credentials; they will also save you money as you won't have to keep ordering batches of new cards - it's a win-win!

BIODEGRADABLE ID CARDS

With many years in the ID card industry, we have seen a large number of organizations shift from using standard PVC cards to biodegradable alternatives. In some cases, this means wooden cards or specially produced cards, called Bio-PVC that break down easily in the landfill. Anything that is biodegradable will break down when left in a fertile, microorganism-rich environment like soil or compost without leaving behind any damaging toxins. When you choose a biodegradable card, it will perform just as well as the normal PVC cards you are used to, with the same durability and graphic-quality surfaces. They will be compatible with all ID card printers, and you won't notice anything different in your daily use, but with that key bonus of being biodegradable once discarded and replaced.

RPET LANYARDS

Lanyards are a common accessory with ID cards, and conventional lanyards are usually made from plastics that are not eco-friendly. If you opt for lanyards made using woven fibers of recycled polyester (RPET), you get the following benefits for the environment in comparison to lanyards made using virgin materials:

No additional chemicals (with the exception of cleaning detergents

59% less energy used to produce them
32% less CO2 emissions in the production process

Additionally, the need for virgin materials is reduced, and waste is diverted away from landfill as the materials are recycled. The lanyard can also be recycled again when it is finished with (not including the metal/hard plastic parts, currently).

If you want to really push the envelope with your company's green credentials, you could try combining all three of these eco-friendly alternatives to conventional cards and lanyards. Whatever business you are in, we are all human beings sharing a planet that needs protection, so it is important to do all you can to be more environmentally friendly in your practices.