More businesses are looking to foster greater sustainability than ever before. The more organizations are able to implement eco-responsible products and best practices into daily operations, the better the outcome for the planet in the long run. ID card printing supplies are a low-cost and impactful place to begin.
Here are five fantastic eco-friendly ID card printing supplies for companies looking to reduce the environmental footprint they leave behind:
As a company, Evolis has been committed to eco-responsibility for the last decade. From the eco-design of their ID card printers to the way they generate solar energy at their headquarters, Evolis sets the bar high for companies doing well for the planet as they continue to innovate greener products. Just this year, Evolis launched a line of paper cards to provide an alternative to plastic for short-term applications.
These new, durable paper ID cards are made from cellulose wood fibers and are plastic-free. Available in blank white with a compatible monochrome ribbon, the biodegradable and recyclable PVC alternative is compliant with ISO CR-80 standards. Their compatible ribbon and cards work in Primacy card printer models.
We recommend Evolis’ paper cards for short-term usages such as events, visitor identification, or luggage tags. They can also be used for gift cards or loyalty cards, and similar uses demanding low physical stress.
Looking for a quote on more eco-friendly ID printing supplies like these? Call us today
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For organizations driven to reduce the number of plastics in landfills and oceans, bamboo is a durable alternative for lanyards. Most standard badge lanyards are made from plastic-based nylon, polypropylene, or polyester which take between 20-40 years to decompose in a landfill. Bamboo is a cellulose fiber that is easily broken down in 6 months, preventing further environmental pollution.
Bamboo lanyards are softer to the touch than plastic-based fabrics and maintain their durability. They come in a variety of vibrant colors and will make staff feel great about their organization’s commitment to sustainability.
Plastic card manufacturers have developed innovative ways to reduce environmental impact while maintaining the quality of their products. One great example is biodegradable ID cards. With patent-pending ingredients, petroleum-based PVC becomes a toxin-free material that breaks down in under five years.
Best of all, the cards last as long as standard PVC, with the same high-quality appearance and printability. The biodegradation process begins only when the card is introduced to a fertile environment like compost, landfills, and even the ocean. All that is left behind is a matter that can be easily worked into the soil or water with no toxic effect.
Protect your credentials while doing your part to protect the planet. PureClear badge holders are made with EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) and are an earth-friendly material that contains fewer environmentally hazardous compositions than PVC. They are PVC, BPA, and phthalates-free, creating a low-toxicity, durable alternative to standard plastic badge holders. Best of all, many have anti-print transfer technology that prevents ID imprints from sticking to holders. PureClear badge holders come in horizontal and vertical orientations in standard CR80 and larger event-size dimensions.
Any plastics that do not end up in landfills and oceans are good news for the planet. Recycled PVC ID cards give used plastic a second life. Maintaining the same durability and quality as mainstream PVC CR80 blank cards, recycled ID cards can contain as much as 100% post-consumer recycled plastics, protecting the environment from further waste.
About ADVANTIDGE: We are always looking to find a better way, the eco-friendly way, for our clients and our planet. We foster relationships recognizing that no two clients have exactly the same security needs. Our value is created through dialogue and 20 years of experience in enterprise security solutions.
to feel confident in how you handle identity management, visitor management, and access control at your organization.
In what way are the environmentally friendly cards different to the ''ordinary'' plastic card?
The carrier material contains renewable raw material (e.g. chalk), paper, wood or environmentally friendly plastic which is degradable or has been recycled already. The card production only has a minor impact on the environment. Additionally, alternative eco-friendly printer colors can be used. Depending on requirements and the selection of materials, finishings are possible with which partial highlights can be achieved. Glimmering spot varnishes, hot stamping foils, textured varnishes and other options for personalisation are available.
All About Cards offers a wide range of sustainable cards out of environmentally friendly materials which can be applied for targeted marketing, especially in the fields of gift and customer cards, or even as official ID-cards, if this is what your company's philosophy is asking for.
Depending on your requirements regarding the cards and the intended purpose, we will recommend you the appropriate materials:
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Biodegradable plastic cards are ideally suited for those who demand not only a high-value and professional product quality but also consider the environmental aspect. Traditional PVC-cards are characterized by their long durability, just like all the other comparable plastic products. However, the downside here is that the structure of traditional PVCs remains intact for several years and thus pollutes our environment as waste in the long run.
That is the reason why we offer alternative and recyclable wooden, grass, cardboard cards or BIO PVC cards. These are cards with a PVC structure that biodegrade together with organic matter in a compostable environment. The accruing by-products are environmentally neutral and atoxic!
Companies today realize that the use of BIO PVC cards or sustainable products in general is absolutely necessary for the image cultivation. Notwithstanding the above, the use of non-degradable plastic cards seems to be simply unconvincing in green industries or business models. But what are the key characteristics of the BIO PVC card?
With BIO PVC you get an environmentally friendly material that can be reliably recycled. Although, like conventional PVC, the material is based on crude oil and rock salt (57%), the cards are biodegradable without toxic residues in a compostable environment. In normal use, such as in a wallet, the cards are as durable as standard PVC cards.
Our BIO PVC card is provided with an additive which gives the BIO PVC card both physical and molecular characteristics, which create a reliable and very flexible PVC-product.
Customer or gift cards made of recycled PVC convince by the fact that the used PVC can be recycled up to 8 times. The quality of the cards remains on a high standard, even if the cards usually have a slight grey touch.
Eco-friendly cards made of sustainable PET-G have no disadvantages compared to conventional plastic cards. They have the same properties and are therefore very resistant. The only difference is that fewer pollutants are released during the production of cards made of PET-G than with conventional PVC cards. PET-G is therefore more environmentally friendly than PVC and at the same time just as multifunctional for high-quality card projects.
PVC-free cards and cards with reduced PVC content are available as a sustainable option. The material consists of a combination of chalk and polyethylene (PE), which is easily degradable due to sustainable recycling processes. Optionally, an eco-friendly PET-G layer or a PVC layer as a resistant lamination is possible. Both processes are compatible with magnetic stripe encoding. To personalize the cards, printing with a thermal printer is also possible.
Wood is in demand! Even for customer applications which are usually based on PVC cards, this is no irreconcilable contradiction. Wood is the eco-friendly version of plastic cards. The wooden card visibly carries the ecological approach and the tendency to use sustainable raw materials. The materials we offer, depending on your wishes, include maple, white oak, oak, teak or wenge. The individual offset printing is possible as well. By using opaque white for printing we can offer satisfying client-specific printing even on dark wooden types. All About Cards can also supply you with wooden cards with RFID-functions.
While trees grow for many years before their wood can be used, grass is a renewable and ubiquitous raw material in short cycles. The grass card consists of 50 percent grass or hay from compensation areas and 50 percent recycled pulp.
The advantages:
If you immediately think of hay fever when you think of grass, don't worry: the grass map is certified and suitable for allergy sufferers. With its colour and structure, the grass card symbolizes the ecological footprint of your company, but can also be individually printed. There is also the option of DOD personalisation.
Besides wood and grass cards, cardboard cards are another alternative to conventional plastic cards. These can be used in many ways – whether as barcode cards, chip cards with RFID/NFC or magnetic stripe encoding - with a shelf life of up to one year.
Manufactured from a cellulose cardboard, cardboard cards have the same thickness as standard PVC and therefore have a very high stability and strength. The material is a renewable resource, which makes the cards easy to recycle. In addition, the cellulose cardboard used is FSC-certified and attests to high quality.
Besides from wood and grass, cards are also made from other natural materials such as sugar cane or ginkgo. Thinner and lighter than PVC cards, they are nevertheless stable and can be printed with colours. The big advantage is that the cards are recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable.
Of course, we offer you the appropriate supplies out of environmentally friendly materials: Choose between the different environmentally friendly lanyards and card holders without plasticizers.
We will be happy to advise you regarding alternative card materials!