Barclaycard is set to
launch a new card this summer for the growing number of people wanting to carry eco-friendly plastic. Barclaycard
Breathe is a new breed of green credit card made out of PETg, which is much less damaging to the environment than traditional PVC-based plastic.
Barclaycard is ditching all direct mail and traditional paper-based advertising for the product, and will only promote it online. Statements will also only be issued online. There are lots of other green promotions and initiatives attached to the card, including:
1. If a person applies for the new card, their existing card will be recycled.
2.
Breathe cardholders will receive discounts when they apply for green energy saving products or services, e.g. public transport tickets.
3. 50% of the after-tax profits from
Breathe will be donated to various environmental projects around the world created to reduce carbon emissions. The issuer has guaranteed to donate at least £1 million to these projects in the first year alone.
The new card was announced on the same day that UK Prime Minister Tony Blair launched the 'We're in this together' campaign, which, working with eight major UK companies (B&Q, M&S, Tesco, BSkyB, Royal & SunAlliance, O2, Barclaycard and British Gas) hopes to help every UK household cut its carbon emissions by one tonne over the next three years.
Antony Jenkins, Barclaycard Chief Executive,
said: “Barclaycard
Breathe makes it easy for people to do their bit in
the fight against climate change by offering incentives to make being
green easier and supporting projects around the world that help reduce
carbon emissions.”