HSBC Bermuda is replacing fully plastic bank cards with those made from recycled materials.

The bank said it is part of HSBC’s global strategy to reduce carbon emissions and achieve their net zero goal by 2050.

The new cards comprise of 85 per cent recycled PVC plastic with the same durability as the current PVC plastic cards, but are made of more environmentally friendly material.

Customers will be issued a card made of recycled materials when their existing cards expire or are lost, to further reduce waste.

HSBC Bermuda’s head of wealth and personal banking, Tanya Bule said: “Protecting Bermuda’s climate and achieving HSBC’s net zero goal is a key priority of HSBC.

“By switching to recycled materials for our cards we can help our customers build a more sustainable future.

“We are proud to be the first bank in Bermuda to take this particular step to becoming a more climate-conscious financial institution.”

The roll-out of the more environmentally friendly MasterCard cards has started for retail customers, with plans to extend the process to Visa cards. The next phase will focus on cards issued to the bank’s business banking customers.