Eco Plastic Cards
Not every card has to be made from new PVC. We supply four alternatives: recycled PVC, biodegradable, PVC-free EcoTough and Plastic-Free Board.
Each one has its own strengths, and each takes a different set of optional extras. Below, every card has its pros and cons and a list of the extras it can and can’t take, so you can rule a material in or out before you design. All four are 86 x 54mm, printed in full colour on one or both sides in England, from 25 cards, with delivery within Great Britain included.
The short versionNeed a card that works like a standard one, magnetic strip and all? Choose recycled PVC or biodegradable. Want to avoid PVC? EcoTough is thin, tough and takes a pen anywhere. Want no plastic at all? Plastic-Free Board takes pen and ink stamps, as long as you don’t need a magnetic strip, a chip or a gloss or matt finish.
Recycled PVC cards
The same thickness, finishes and extras as our standard PVC card, made from 98% recycled PVC rather than new PVC.
- Made of
- 98% recycled PVC
- Thickness
- 760 microns (0.76mm), the same as a standard card
- Full colour, one or both sides, sealed beneath the surface
- Finish
- High Gloss or Premium Matt
- Production
- 7 working days
- Price
- From £88 +vat for 25 cards
Pros
- Made from 98% recycled PVC rather than new PVC.
- The same thickness as a standard card, so it works wherever one does: wallets, card holders, lanyard clips and card readers.
- The print is sealed beneath the surface, so it can’t scratch or wear off.
- A choice of High Gloss or Premium Matt finish.
- Takes the optional extras a standard PVC card does, including magnetic strips, embossing and scratch-off panels.
- Can be recycled again where facilities accept PVC.
Cons
- It’s still PVC, so it isn’t the answer if you want no PVC at all.
- It won’t break down. At the end of its life it needs a recycler that accepts PVC, and not all household collections take plastic cards.
- Costs more than standard PVC: £88 +vat for 25 cards, against £75 +vat.
Optional extras on recycled PVC cards
- Barcodes
- QR codes
- Sequential numbering
- Personalisation and variable data
- Signature strips and write-on panels
- Holes and slots
- Photoseals
- Embossing
- Magnetic strips
- Scratch-off panels
- Metallic foiling
- High Gloss or Premium Matt finish
- Metallic base
- RFID chip
A metallic base card starts as gold or silver rather than white, and our RFID cards are their own 820 micron card with the chip inside, so ask us before you plan either one on recycled PVC.
Recycled PVC cards: prices and details Card examples Get a quote
Biodegradable plastic cards
Solid plastic cards that print, encode and feel the same as standard PVC, with an additive designed to speed up breakdown in the right conditions.
- Made of
- Solid plastic with an additive designed to speed up breakdown in the right conditions
- Thickness
- 800 microns (0.8mm), slightly thicker than a standard card
- Full colour, one or both sides, sealed beneath the surface
- Finish
- High Gloss or Premium Matt
- Production
- 7 working days
- Price
- From £88 +vat for 25 cards
Pros
- Prints, encodes and feels the same as standard PVC, so card readers and lanyard clips already in use need no changes.
- An additive designed to speed up breakdown in biologically active conditions, such as some landfill sites.
- It won’t start to degrade while it’s in use.
- The print is sealed beneath the surface, so it can’t scratch or wear off.
- A choice of High Gloss or Premium Matt finish.
- Takes the optional extras a standard PVC card does, including magnetic strips, embossing and scratch-off panels.
- Suits schemes where cards are renewed every year and the old ones are thrown away.
Cons
- It’s still plastic.
- There’s no fixed timescale for it to break down. That depends on moisture, temperature and microbial activity, and in dry or inert conditions it lasts as long as a standard card.
- Costs more than standard PVC: £88 +vat for 25 cards, against £75 +vat.
Optional extras on biodegradable plastic cards
- Barcodes
- QR codes
- Sequential numbering
- Personalisation and variable data
- Signature strips and write-on panels
- Holes and slots
- Photoseals
- Embossing
- Magnetic strips
- Scratch-off panels
- Metallic foiling
- High Gloss or Premium Matt finish
- Metallic base
- RFID chip
A metallic base card starts as gold or silver rather than white, and our RFID cards are their own 820 micron card with the chip inside, so ask us before you plan either one on biodegradable.
Biodegradable plastic cards: prices and details Card examples Get a quote
EcoTough cards
A thin, tough, PVC-free card that takes a pen anywhere, with our shortest standard production time.
- Made of
- A PVC-free, laminate-free synthetic material made with 20% recycled content
- Thickness
- 360 microns (0.36mm), less than half a standard card
- Full colour, one or both sides, on the surface
- Finish
- No High Gloss or Premium Matt option
- Production
- 5 working days
- Price
- From £75 +vat for 25 cards
Pros
- PVC-free, and made with 20% recycled content.
- Durable, tear resistant and waterproof: tough enough for years of daily use, which is why it’s chosen for gym entry passes and staff ID.
- Takes an ordinary pen or pencil anywhere on the card, so there’s no write-on panel to plan around.
- Our shortest standard production time: 5 working days instead of 7.
- Can be recycled where facilities accept this type of plastic.
- The same price as standard PVC up to 250 cards, and less at 500 and 1,000.
Cons
- At 360 microns it’s less than half the thickness of a standard card.
- The print is on the surface, not sealed beneath it as on a PVC card.
- Takes fewer extras than PVC: no magnetic strip, embossing, scratch-off panel or metallic foiling.
- No High Gloss or Premium Matt finish.
- It doesn’t degrade in landfill, and not all household collections take plastic cards.
Optional extras on EcoTough cards
- Barcodes
- QR codes
- Sequential numbering
- Personalisation and variable data
- Writing anywhere with a pen or pencil
- Holes and slots
- Embossing
- Magnetic strips
- Scratch-off panels
- Metallic foiling
- Metallic base
- High Gloss or Premium Matt finish
- Photoseals
- RFID chip
There’s no need for a signature strip, because the whole card takes a pen. Ask us before you plan photoseals or an RFID chip.
EcoTough cards: prices and details Card examples Get a quote
Plastic-Free Board cards
Board instead of plastic, almost as thick as a plastic card, and it takes pen and ink stamps anywhere.
- Made of
- Recyclable board, with no PVC
- Thickness
- 620 microns (0.62mm), almost as thick as a plastic card
- Full colour, one or both sides, on the surface
- Finish
- No High Gloss or Premium Matt option
- Production
- 7 working days
- Price
- From £89 +vat for 25 cards
Pros
- No plastic in the card at all: it’s the only card we supply that has none.
- Can go in household or commercial recycling that accepts card. If you’re not sure what your collection takes, check with your local council.
- Takes pen and ink stamps anywhere on the card, which suits stamp-style loyalty cards.
- At 620 microns it’s almost as thick as a plastic card, with a solid feel.
- A matt, tactile surface that throws no glare back at a barcode reader.
Cons
- Can’t take a magnetic strip or an RFID chip, so it won’t work with swipe or tap readers.
- Not sold as waterproof. For long-term gift cards or outdoor use, PVC or EcoTough suits better.
- The print is on the surface rather than sealed, and the corners soften with handling over time.
- No High Gloss or Premium Matt finish, metallic foiling or scratch-off panel.
- Costs more than standard PVC: £89 +vat for 25 cards, against £75 +vat.
Optional extras on Plastic-Free Board cards
- Barcodes
- QR codes
- Sequential numbering
- Personalisation and variable data
- Pen and ink stamps anywhere
- Magnetic strips
- Scratch-off panels
- Metallic foiling
- Metallic base
- High Gloss or Premium Matt finish
- RFID chip
- Holes and slots
- Photoseals
- Embossing
There’s no need for a write-on panel, because the whole card takes pen and ink stamps. Ask us before you plan holes, slots, embossing or photoseals.
Plastic-Free Board cards: prices and details Card examples Get a quote
Optional extras at a glance
Every optional extra on our list, and whether each eco card can take it. Where a cell says Ask us, email sales@cpcards.co.uk before you design and we’ll let you know.
| Optional extra | Recycled PVC | Biodegradable | EcoTough | Plastic-Free Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcodes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| QR codes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sequential numbering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personalisation and variable data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writing on the card by hand | Yes On a signature strip or write-on panel | Yes On a signature strip or write-on panel | Yes Anywhere, with a pen or pencil | Yes Anywhere, with a pen or an ink stamp |
| Holes and slots | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ask us |
| Photoseals | Yes | Yes | Ask us | Ask us |
| Embossing | Yes | Yes | No | Ask us |
| Magnetic strips | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Scratch-off panels | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Metallic foiling | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Metallic base | Ask us | Ask us | No | No |
| High Gloss or Premium Matt finish | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RFID chip | Ask us | Ask us | Ask us | No |
Each extra is explained, with sizes and positions, on our optional extras page. For writing on cards, see can you write on plastic cards?
Still deciding?
Our guides go further, and the sample pack lets you compare the cards in your hand.
- GuideEco card materials comparedThickness drawn to scale, end of life and prices, with standard PVC alongside.
- GuidePaper and cardboard membership cardsBoard, EcoTough, PVC and home-printed paper compared for a membership card.
- GuideCan you write on plastic cards?Which pens and stamps work on which card, and when you need a panel.
- SamplesSample packThe different types of card we supply, to compare in your hand before you order.
Questions & Answers
-
What are eco plastic cards?
Cards made from something other than new (virgin) PVC. We supply four: recycled PVC cards made from 98% recycled PVC, biodegradable cards with an additive designed to speed up breakdown in the right conditions, PVC-free EcoTough cards made with 20% recycled content, and Plastic-Free Board cards, which have no plastic in them at all.
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Which eco cards take the most optional extras?
Recycled PVC and biodegradable cards. They take the extras a standard PVC card does, including magnetic strips, embossing, scratch-off panels, metallic foiling and a High Gloss or Premium Matt finish. Ask us about a metallic base or an RFID chip on either one.
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Which extras can’t I have on EcoTough or Plastic-Free Board cards?
Neither can have a magnetic strip, a scratch-off panel, metallic foiling, a metallic base, or a High Gloss or Premium Matt finish. EcoTough cards can’t be embossed, and Plastic-Free Board cards can’t take an RFID chip. Both take barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbering and personalised details.
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Do eco cards need a signature strip to write on?
Recycled PVC and biodegradable cards do, because the print is sealed beneath the surface: add a signature strip or write-on panel for anything written by hand. EcoTough cards take an ordinary pen or pencil anywhere on the card, and Plastic-Free Board cards take pen and ink stamps anywhere, so neither needs one.
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Which eco card costs the least?
EcoTough cards. The same price as standard PVC up to 250 cards, and less at 500 and 1,000. For 25 cards, prices start at: Recycled PVC £88, Biodegradable £88, EcoTough £75 and Plastic-Free Board £89, all +vat, with delivery within Great Britain included. Each card’s own page has its full price table.
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Can I see the eco cards before I order?
Yes. Our sample pack has the different types of card we supply, so you can compare them in your hand. It costs £3.50, which is deducted from your order if you order within 30 days. To see your own design, add a postal proof to your order: we print a real card from your artwork and post it to you for approval, for £65 +vat.
Ready to order?
Tell us what your cards are for and which material you’re considering. If you’re unsure which suits you, we’ll advise.
Every order comes with a free photorealistic email proof to approve before anything is printed.