Infineon Technologies has launched SECORA Pay Green, a groundbreaking contactless payment card technology designed to significantly reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions in the payment industry.
The innovative solution introduced by Infineon technology is a fully recyclable payment card body crafted from environmentally friendly materials. With the implementation of the eco-friendly Coil-on-Module (eCoM) package, they enable a recycling share of up to 100% for card bodies, while achieving over 60% reductions in CO2 emissions associated with raw material sourcing and logistics. Target audiences for SECORA Pay Green include banks, financial institutions, and card manufacturers keen on sustainability, as well as environmentally conscious consumers increasingly drawn to eco-friendly financial solutions.
The SECORA Pay Green technology represents a major advancement in the effort to make payment cards more sustainable. Traditional cards typically incorporate separate copper wire antennas embedded within various material layers, making recycling extremely difficult. The eCoM package integrates the contactless antenna with the security controller and software components, simplifying the recycling process. Once a card reaches the end of its service life, the eCoM package can be removed and disposed of as electronic waste, while the homogeneous card body can be recycled as plastic, wood, or paper.
The company is collaborating with major card manufacturers and payment schemes worldwide to facilitate the transition to these eco-friendly payment cards. “As a leading semiconductor company in power systems and IoT, Infineon is committed to driving decarbonization and digitalization,” stated Thomas Rosteck, Division President, Connected Secure Systems, Infineon. He emphasized that SECORA Pay Green is not just a new product but a step towards an environmentally responsible future for the payment industry.
Industry leaders are also recognizing the potential of this innovative technology. Joe Pitcher, Vice President, Mastercard Sustainable Card Program, remarked, “We support innovations like Infineon’s SECORA Pay Green that demonstrate innovative thinking and a willingness to re-engineer products to reduce their environmental impact.”
The SECORA Pay Green solution can be easily integrated into existing dual-interface card manufacturing processes, expediting its adoption. It is designed to seamlessly interact with smartphone antennas, providing convenience in tap-to-mobile scenarios. The flexibility of the eCoM module allows for various sustainable materials, including recycled PVC, rPETG, PLA, ocean-bound plastic, wood, and paper.
As consumer demand for eco-friendly banking solutions continues to grow, this initiative positions the company and its partners at the forefront of a significant shift in the financial industry.
