Planet Positive Products For a Better World

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One of the core values of the team at ID Card Centre is our dedication to sustainability. We passionately believe in our personal responsibility to the planet and what we can do to help.

As a business, we do everything we can to reduce waste, including recycling our waste where possible.

ID Card Centre believes in the importance of plastic bottle recycling. Every plastic bottle used takes 450 years to biodegrade and currently 75% of all plastic bottles are not recycled.

We have teamed up with Plastic Bank – who are dedicated to removing and recycling any discarded plastic from the environment. Our partnership with Plastic Bank means that we are committed to removing 10 plastic bottles from the ocean for every order placed online, and recycled in one of Plastic Bank’s specialised plastic recycling centres.

The importance of Planet Positive Products cannot be understated – this blog will show you our pick of the best green products that ID Card Centre can provide for those who are looking to be more conscious of their sustainable choices.

Evolis paper cards for name badging

Paper is a great alternative to plastic when it comes to name badging. The most obvious benefit is that is that paper is widely recycled, as opposed to plastic which can only be recycled by a specialist service, but they are also easier for attaching to lanyards, as they can be hole punched.

Paper ID cards can be printed on once using a black wax ribbon, producing your name badge designs in monochrome. When they have served their purpose, they can be easily recycled within your normal office recycling, although we highly recommend shredding them first as a matter of habit due to the secure nature of a name card.

These Evolis Paper cards have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, which means that they are made from a paper stock sourced from sustainably managed forests. This means that even before you buy the cards and eventually recycle them, they are already helping the environment and have impeccable green credentials.

Paper is not the only option when it comes to eco-friendly ID cards. We have a wide range of biodegradable PVC cards and recycled plastic cards that can meet your green needs.
To find out more about our other biodegradable card options, visit here.

Lanyards made from recycled plastic bottles

Lanyards are key for many organisations, helping to keep all your essentials like keys, security fobs and ID cards in one useful place. They are also entirely customisable with printing options, meaning you can brand them, and they become a form of marketing with zero effort.

As opposed to nylon or polyester, our lanyards are made from recycled PET – a material that is made from recycled plastic bottles!

These lanyards are just as lightweight and flexible as the traditional material and can still be customised with a range of printing options, meaning the flat surface (available in widths of 10mm, 15mm and 20mm) can be easily branded with your unique design.

One huge advantage of RPET lanyards is that, because they are made from recycled bottles, they are helping reduce plastic waste in our environment and reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills. The average plastic bottle takes 450 years to biodegrade, and approximately 75% of water bottles are not recycled. By choosing RPET lanyards, you are helping the fight against plastic pollution.

Recycled PVC ID cards, for a more permanent name badge

If you require a PVC material for your ID cards but would still like to maintain sustainability and your green credentials, then we offer a range of PVC alternatives in the way of recycled PVC cards.

Offering all the benefits of a traditional PVC ID card, these biodegradable cards are made from 100% recycled plastic and once they have reached the end of their usability, they can be recycled again to prevent the cards from entering a landfill. When you no longer need your ID cards, we recommend shredding them to protect the secure data contained on them.

Please check with your local recycling centre to see if they can recycle R-PVC or can advise where does.

The benefits of bamboo

Our bamboo lanyards are perfectly suited for personalisation and printing, meaning you can add your business logo and branding to create a unique design.

Bamboo is one of the planet’s most sustainable resources., As the world’s fastest-growing plant, bamboo grows as much as 91cm a day. In addition to this, bamboo naturally absorbs carbon dioxide and releases up to 35% more oxygen into the air than standard hardwood trees.

Bamboo also has natural anti-bacterial properties that remain within the lanyards, making them perfect for environments that require an elevated level of hygiene control, such as kitchens and hospitals.

Rewrite ID card printers

Rewriteable printers are designed to reduce the production of wasted plastic. Rewrite printers ‘print’ onto plastic cards using heat, as the cards themselves have a thermo-sensitive layer that reacts to the heat to display your ID card design.

Each card can have the print removed and then reused up to 500 times, meaning there is much less plastic wastage. Because the rewrite printers use the thermo-sensitive layer, they do not use printer ribbons either – meaning less wastage going into a landfill and less expenses to the business.

The cost of rewriteable cards starts at £1.20 per card, but due to the reusable nature of the card, the cost per ID card can be as little as £0.0024. In comparison, a standard white card costs £0.07.

With rewriteable technology, you are not only saving money but also the environment, as the cards are being reused instead of ending up in the bin, and there are no ribbons or cartridges to dispose of. Today’s rewrite printers are also energy efficient, so you will save money on your energy costs too!

Here at ID Card Centre, we believe that sustainability is the best option for businesses and individuals alike. We have a responsibility to be planet positive and continue to offer new products and services that help the planet.

Whilst there are many business-based reasons to adopt a green mentality, such as increasing consumer consciousness, reduced costs and wastage, and improved brand image to name a few, it is the ethical choice that is most important. We all have a responsibility to the planet; if everyone does what they can to make steps towards sustainability, everyone benefits.

For more information on how you can make sustainable choices with your identity and access control solutions, please get in touch with a member of our expert team.