By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor, ICMA 

As sustainability moves from aspiration to expectation in the global card industry, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce reliance on virgin plastics while continuing to meet the performance standards required for financial and commercial card production. Cardel is addressing that challenge with recycled PVC magnetic stripe overlays designed to help manufacturers make practical progress toward more sustainable production without disrupting existing workflows. 

According to CEO Marshall Haldane, the timing is driven in part by major payment network requirements that are already reshaping material choices across the sector. 

A Sustainability Shift with a Clear Industry Driver 

Cardel, which produces prelaid magnetic stripe overlays for the plastic card manufacturing sector, sees recycled PVC as a logical response to where the market is heading. Haldane points to new sustainability mandates from the major card brands as a key catalyst. 

“Visa and Mastercard have both mandated that from January 2028, all newly produced plastic payment cards on its networks must be made from more sustainable materials,” Haldane said. “Recycled PVC is the natural choice as a film that meets this requirement.” 

That shift is pushing manufacturers to evaluate materials that can satisfy both environmental goals and real-world production demands. For many, recycled PVC offers an attractive option because it builds on familiar processing characteristics while helping reduce dependence on virgin material. 

Performance Remains Essential 

For card manufacturers, sustainability gains mean little if materials cannot perform to required quality standards. Cardel says its recycled PVC overlays were developed with that reality in mind. 

“Recycled PVC overlays must meet the requirements of all ISO standards which include bonding, lamination quality and all other ISO compliance requirements,” Haldane said. 

He added that Mastercard’s own Card Quality Management (CQM) requirements are also part of the equation. 

“In addition, Mastercard operates its own control standard titled CQM,” Haldane said. “Recycled PVC overlay is tested against all of the ISO and CQM standards and test results show that the performance of Cardel recycled overlay is directly comparable to virgin PVC.” 

That direct comparability is a significant point for manufacturers that need confidence in bonding, lamination quality, durability and compliance before introducing a new material into production. 

No Process Changes Required 

One of the biggest barriers to sustainable material adoption is the possibility of operational disruption. Cardel says that is not the case here. 

“The recycled materials integrate directly into existing print and lamination workflows,” Haldane said. “The nature of the recycled product and its comparable performance to virgin PVC ensure that no process changes are required.” 

That ease of adoption may prove especially important as manufacturers evaluate a broader range of sustainable substrates. Haldane noted that other alternatives do not always offer the same level of drop-in compatibility. 

“Alternative sustainable materials such as PETG and bio-based plastics will however require changes to processes by their nature, specifically their performance under high temperatures during lamination and the bonding strengths of inks to these substrates,” he said. 

For converters and card manufacturers, that distinction matters. A recycled PVC solution that fits existing workflows can reduce risk, preserve throughput and simplify implementation. 

Demand Is Expanding Across Card Segments 

While banking and payment cards are the most visible part of the sustainability transition, Cardel says interest in recycled overlays is spreading well beyond that market. 

“While there is a mandatory requirement for bank card manufacturers to switch to more sustainable materials, other sectors are adopting the same approach,” Haldane said. 

He pointed to broadening adoption across a range of card programs. 

“This is particularly prevalent in non-MC/Visa retail store cards, fuel cards, gift cards, hotel key cards and many other sectors as it is clearly the environmentally right thing to do,” he said. 

That suggests sustainability is becoming not just a compliance issue, but also a broader market expectation across commercial, retail and hospitality applications. 

A Rapidly Changing Material Mix 

Looking ahead, Cardel expects the card manufacturing market to change quickly as sustainable options gain share. 

“Cardel sees the future of plastic card manufacturing to change at a rapid pace from a historical estimated 96% virgin/4% sustainable mix to a probable large reversal of the market to 90% sustainable/10% virgin PVC utilization,” Haldane said. 

For now, recycled PVC appears to be leading that transition, but Cardel expects the mix to continue evolving. 

“The choice of sustainable material at present is heavily leaning toward recycled PVC and this is likely to continue. However, other sustainable materials are likely to gain higher market share than previously existed,” Haldane said. 

He added that these could include “recycled PET variants such as rPETG, and a range of bio-based plastics such as PLA.” 

A Practical Step Forward 

As the card industry works toward more responsible material choices, manufacturers are looking for solutions that balance sustainability with reliability, efficiency and compliance. Cardel’s recycled PVC magnetic stripe overlays are positioned as one of those solutions, offering a practical step forward for producers that want to align with new expectations without sacrificing proven manufacturing performance. 

For card manufacturers facing tighter sustainability requirements and growing customer expectations, the appeal is clear: a more sustainable overlay material that works within today’s production environment while supporting the industry’s next chapter.