Biodegradable Plastic Card Examples
Biodegradable card design ideas
Biodegradable cards are typically chosen by clubs, gyms, and retailers who want to reduce single-use plastic waste without changing their existing card format — the cards print, encode, and feel the same as standard PVC, so no changes are needed to card readers or lanyard clips already in use. They suit membership and loyalty schemes where cards are renewed annually and old cards are usually discarded rather than reused.
Do you see a design that you like?
Love one of our examples? Let’s use it as inspiration!
If you spot a example design that catches your eye, we can use it as a starting point to create your own design.
We’ll tailor the layout, colours, logos, and text to suit, all included as part of our Design Service.
Just tell us what you like and send over any logos and pictures, and we’ll do the rest.
A Drop-In Replacement for Standard PVC
The reason biodegradable cards look exactly like the rest of our work in the examples above is that, from a design and production point of view, they are the same job. They are printed in full colour CMYK on both sides, sealed beneath the card surface, and finished in high gloss or premium matt — identical to a standard PVC card.
What matters more for most organisations is what does not change downstream. The cards measure 86 x 54mm, they encode the same way, and they feel the same in the hand. Every card reader, turnstile, wallet, card holder and lanyard clip you already have carries on working. Nobody has to be told anything, no hardware gets replaced, and the switch is invisible to members.
At 800 microns they are actually a shade thicker than our standard 760-micron PVC card — not enough that anyone notices in a wallet, but worth knowing if your cards go through a dispenser or a tightly-toleranced reader slot, which is the one place a difference could show up.
Where Biodegradable Cards Make Sense
These suit schemes where cards are renewed on a cycle and last year’s cards are thrown away rather than kept — annual club membership, season passes, loyalty cards that get refreshed with a new design. That is a genuine stream of discarded plastic, and it is the case biodegradable material is actually designed to answer.
They make less sense for a card intended to last five years. If a card is issued once and used until it physically fails, the most environmentally sensible thing it can do is not need replacing, and a thin durable synthetic like our EcoTough cards is usually the better fit.
And if your organisation’s position is no plastic at all rather than better plastic, that is a different question again, which our plastic-free board cards answer — with the significant caveat that board cannot take a magnetic stripe or a chip.
Being straight about the trade-offs tends to serve clubs better than a blanket recommendation. All three are real options and they suit different schemes.
Options, Prices and Ordering
The full range of extras is available: sequential numbering, barcodes, QR codes, write-on panels, signature strips and variable data printing from an Excel file so every card carries its own member’s name and number. Because the material prints and encodes like PVC, nothing is off the table that would be available on a standard card.
Prices start at £88 for 25 cards, including free UK delivery and based on one artwork file, with VAT and any optional extras on top. Every card is printed here in England, and we email a photorealistic proof for approval before anything goes to print.
If you are switching an existing scheme across, send us the artwork you already use. In most cases it can be used as it stands, since the card dimensions and the printing process are the same — and if it needs work, our artwork checking service will sort it out for £10 +vat.
Biodegradable Plastic Card FAQs
Will biodegradable cards work with our existing card readers?
Yes. They encode the same way as standard PVC and are the same 86 x 54mm, so readers, turnstiles, wallets and lanyard clips all carry on working unchanged.
How thick are they?
800 microns, which is slightly thicker than our standard 760-micron PVC card. Not noticeable in a wallet, but worth checking if your cards go through a dispenser or a tight reader slot.
Do they print as well as normal plastic cards?
Yes, identically. Full colour CMYK on both sides, sealed beneath the card surface, in high gloss or premium matt — the same process we use on standard PVC.
Can we have barcodes, numbering and personalisation?
Yes, the full range. Sequential numbering, barcodes, QR codes, write-on panels, signature strips and variable data from an Excel file are all available exactly as on a standard card.
When is a biodegradable card the right choice?
When cards are renewed on a cycle and old ones get thrown away — annual memberships, season passes, refreshed loyalty schemes. That discarded stream is what the material is designed to address.
When would you suggest something else?
If a card is meant to last for years, a durable card that never needs replacing is usually the better answer, and our EcoTough cards suit that. If your policy is no plastic at all, look at plastic-free board cards instead.
What do they cost?
From £88 for 25 cards, including free UK delivery and based on one artwork file. VAT and optional extras are additional.
Can we reuse our existing card artwork?
Usually yes, as the dimensions and printing process are the same as standard PVC. If anything needs adjusting, our artwork checking service handles it for £10 +vat.