Sustainability is one of the most important conversations shaping the future of card manufacturing. But as more material options enter the market, from recycled polymers to biobased alternatives and compostable substrates, one thing has become clear: choosing a “sustainable” card body material is not as simple as selecting the option with the greenest label.
At the 2026 ICMA EXPO, ICMA member Ethel Bermejo of Bixby International explored this challenge in the presentation, “Navigating the Sustainability Maze: A Data-Driven, Performance-Based, Material-Agnostic Approach.” The session focused on how card manufacturers can make more informed material choices by evaluating sustainability through a broader, more balanced lens.
Why Sustainability Is More Than a Material Choice
In card manufacturing, sustainability decisions often begin with material selection. A company may consider a recycled-content material, a biobased polymer, a compostable option or another emerging substrate as a potential alternative to traditional card body materials.
However, material origin is only one part of the story. A truly informed sustainability assessment must also consider how a material is produced, how it performs, how much energy and raw material it requires, what emissions are associated with its production and what happens to the product at the end of its useful life.
That is where Life Cycle Assessment, from cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle perspectives, commonly known as LCA, becomes important. LCA considers the full picture of environmental impact, rather than isolating one “green” attribute, such as the energy and the resources required to produce the material. For card bodies, this kind of thinking can help organizations avoid oversimplified sustainability claims and better understand the trade-offs between different material choices.
The Role of a Multi-Criteria Decision Matrix
Bermejo’s presentation introduced a multi-criteria decision matrix as a practical tool for early-stage material screening. Rather than declaring one material the universal “best” choice, the matrix is designed to compare technically viable options across multiple sustainability and performance indicators.
The framework evaluates materials across categories such as carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency, end-of-life and circularity considerations and broader environmental impacts. Together, these categories help reveal where one material may perform well and where another may offer advantages.
This is especially important because sustainability priorities can vary by organization, product type and market expectation. For example, one issuer or manufacturer may prioritize lower greenhouse gas emissions, while another may place greater emphasis on circularity, recyclability or compatibility with existing systems.
By weighting criteria based on stakeholder priorities and available data, the decision matrix helps make those trade-offs visible.
Why Trade-Offs Matter
One of the key takeaways from the presentation is that sustainable material evaluation should not be reduced to a single claim or ranking. Different assumptions can change the outcome.
In Bixby’s credit card material screening case study, the system boundary was cradle-to-gate, meaning the evaluation focused on impacts from raw material sourcing through production up to the supplier warehouse. The end-of-life assumption was landfill, reflecting a scenario where no collection or take-back system was in place.
Under a climate-focused weighting scenario, both a biobased polyester and a recycled polyester blend emerged as better-fit candidates for further exploration. When the weighting shifted toward circular-economy priorities, the ranking changed slightly, but those same two materials remained strong candidates for continued lab evaluation in that specific application and context.
This illustrates an important point for the card industry: sustainability decisions depend heavily on context. The same material can produce different sustainability outcomes depending on assumptions such as end-of-life scenario, weighting priorities and available infrastructure.
What This Type of Framework Can and Cannot Do
A decision matrix can be a valuable tool for guiding research and development, especially in the early stages of material selection. It can help teams compare technically viable options, prioritize materials for lab testing, identify data gaps and better understand the trade-offs behind each choice.
It can also reduce the risk of greenwashing by encouraging companies to base decisions on available evidence rather than broad or unsupported sustainability claims.
However, this type of framework does not replace a full Life Cycle Assessment. It also does not support public environmental claims on its own or identify one universally sustainable material for every use case. Instead, it serves as a structured screening tool that can help organizations make better decisions before advancing materials into testing, prototyping or commercialization.
Moving Toward More Responsible Material Innovation
For card manufacturers, personalizers, suppliers and issuers, the path toward more sustainable card products will require more than simply swapping one material for another. It will require careful evaluation, transparent assumptions and a willingness to balance environmental goals with performance requirements.
As the industry continues to explore recycled, renewable, biobased and alternative polymer solutions, data-driven tools can help support more practical and credible sustainability decisions.
Bixby’s approach reinforces a valuable lesson for the broader card manufacturing ecosystem: the most responsible material choice is not always the one that sounds the most sustainable at first glance. It is the one that performs well, aligns with defined priorities and is supported by a clear understanding of its environmental trade-offs.
Why ICMA Membership Matters
ICMA remains committed to empowering the global card manufacturing community by helping members lead, innovate and grow. Through a strategic combination of industry marketing support and professional development, ICMA equips organizations and individuals with the tools they need to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
ICMA’s professional development programs are designed to strengthen both technical expertise and leadership capability. Offerings such as on-demand Advanced Card Education (ACE) and the Card Industry Training & Education (CITE) initiative help professionals deepen their knowledge, while flagship events like the EXPO and CardTREX bring together industry leaders to learn, connect and explore emerging innovations.
Members who engage in ICMA’s education programs and events don’t just keep pace with change—they help shape it. From contributing thought leadership to Card Manufacturing magazine to earning industry recognition through the Élan Awards of Excellence, ICMA provides meaningful opportunities for members to elevate their visibility and influence.
For card industry professionals seeking to stay informed, connected and future-ready, ICMA offers a clear path forward through education, exposure and community.
Discover the full value of ICMA membership and join a global network of professionals advancing the card industry.