The Compostable Card: Eco-Friendly Benefits

Compostable cards are making their way into the wallets and purses of Americans. It’s a good thing for the businesses that provide them, the consumers who use them, and the environment to which they return.

Tucked into the average American’s wallet or purse are the many cards used for memberships, rewards, gifts, insurance information, and just about any other purpose necessary or desirable in our complex society. These pieces of plastic provide great convenience but often have a short life span. Some provide their benefits with a single use. A gift card, for example, is used until exhausted, usually once, and then discarded. Others provide critical information such as insurance and membership numbers that are reissued annually. Loyalty tokens come and loyalty tokens go as consumers change relationships with merchants and service providers. All of these cards are handy, but their short life spans do not demand the durability and non-biodegradability of the plastic used to make them.

Advances in materials have led to eco-friendly options for the many cards that experience short life spans. In fact, today, some of these alternatives need not go all the way to the landfill but only as far as the nearest compost pile. While not all alternatives are compost-ready, most offer some degree of biodegradability with a full range of features.

At the heart of compostable cards is the fibrous material that replaces the plastic. Derived from natural sources, usually various plant fibers, these substrates provide durability, wallet life, but also readily biodegrade when they no longer serve a purpose. This keeps plastic out of the waste stream by using natural materials that can be returned to the environment.

On the surface of compostable cards are materials that make them visually exciting and convenient to use. New surface treatments are now derived from vegetable sources, most often corn, which readily biodegrade. These treatments are compatible with high quality laser and digital printers, allowing for the same printing and embossing of logos, graphics, and information that plastic has enjoyed. Their smooth quality also provides easy release for the consumer’s portable portion from the parent cover letter or mailer.

These internal changes provide compostable cards with all the benefits of their plastic cousins, but with the added benefit of biodegradable disposal. Customers enjoy knowing that the materials that allow them to have convenient and important information close at hand are earth-friendly. Many enjoy seeing these compostable cards go into their own compost piles instead of the trash can.

If you are interested in a membership card printers or gift card printing, be sure to visit Earth Kards.