Bank of America said it will make all of its plastic credit and debit cards from recycled material beginning next year.
All of the cards, which will feature a recycling logo, will be manufactured using at least 80% recycled plastic, Bank of America said in a statement Thursday.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said it’s the first U.S.-based bank to make the change across all its debit and credit cards, with the transition intended to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and energy and water use.
“Shifting to a recycled card product is another step toward a more sustainable solution which will foster a circular economy,” Mary Hines Droesch, head of consumer and small-business products at Bank of America, said in the statement.
Bank of America has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions in its financing activities, operations and supply chains by 2050, joining other banks that have made similar commitments. It also set a $1.5 trillion goal of financing projects aimed at supporting climate change and social equality by 2030.
The company said it issues about 54 million consumer and commercial cards a year, and that it expects the recycling effort to help reduce more than 235 tons (213 metric tons) of single-use plastic. The bank also offers digital debit cards, introduced in 2019, that use no physical materials.
Bank of America has been revamping its credit card portfolio, adding
— With assistance from Jenny Surane.
