Santander will become the first bank in Brazil to distribute cards made of recycled plastic. As part of a pilot project, the bank will be sending 1,500 recycled PVC cards to customers who work in companies linked to Santander and that follow ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) practices.

21 July 2021
From Q1 2022, these new cards will be sent out when old cards are reissued or when new customers join the bank (current account holders or not) and request "Elite" and "SX" cards.  

This initiative will help Santander to work towards its goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. By replacing all of its debit and credit cards, the bank will no longer emit up to 109 tonnes of CO2 and will no longer produce almost 50 tonnes of plastic waste. 

"We aim to launch the project with the SX card, our best-seller, and the Elite card so as to achieve a high number of sustainable units from the outset. We have developed a model with no changes to the card's design or format, thus ensuring its quality and durability", explains Rogério Panca, head of Cards at Santander Brazil. 

In its notice to the first customers to receive the new product, Santander also makes them aware of the importance of recycling their current cards and encourages them to discard plastic correctly. 

ESG portfolio

This project falls under Santander's global commitment to channelling €220 billion by 2030 to help its customers to transition to a green economy. This year, Santander announced its ambition to reach zero net carbon emissions across the group by 2050, to support the climate change goals set in the Paris Agreement.  

Eco-friendly cards in Europe

Banco Santander announced in march it is accelerating the rollout of eco-friendly cards in the Europe region, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and responsible banking and supporting its green transition. By 2025, all debit, credit and pre-paid cards across Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK will be made of sustainable materials.