IDEMIA partners with RHB Bank to launch the first recycled debit card in Asia Pacific

IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, today announced the launch of the first eco-friendly recycled PVC payment card in Asia Pacific with RHB Bank, headquartered in Malaysia. Designed for its banking customers, RHB Bank created the RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i cards in partnership with IDEMIA, WWF-Malaysia, and Visa, as part of the bank’s efforts to strengthen its commitment in sustainable practices and to raise public awareness in the conservation and environmental sustainability of the marine ecosystem.

As part of its environmental strategy, IDEMIA confirms its commitment to move away from today’s linear take-make-waste model and fundamentally rethink the way we design, use and reuse plastics. The partnership between RHB Bank and IDEMIA demonstrates the shared desire to be pioneers in this initiative.

Plastic recycling is beneficial in many ways (including C0² emission reduction) and one of the most significant impacts is industrial waste reduction versus first-use materials. These recycled PVC payment cards save a total mass of 3.18g industrial waste per finished card, which can amount in thousands of tons of material saved if the industry moves in this direction.

These RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i will be available to all existing RHB customers and new customers in Malaysia in July 2020. The cards contain state-of-the-art technology for seamless payment convenience, have passed all durability testing and are ISO-certified and EMV compliant.

Part of innovation is being aware of the impact that our development has on society and the world we live in. Essentially, it is about finding new solutions that help us harmonise efficiency and sustainability. IDEMIA is proud to be part of the solution in creating less plastic waste and reducing land and water pollution while optimizing our carbon footprint. Every single contribution we can make towards a greener world matters.
Vincent Mouret, Senior Vice-President of Financial Institutions Asia Pacific at IDEMIA

Most discarded plastics end up in the ocean to the detriment of marine life. Our new recycled plastic card is our way of contributing directly to the conservation of ocean life through partnering with IDEMIA and global affiliated NGOs such as WWF-Malaysia.
Dato’ Adissadikin Ali, Managing Director, RHB Islamic Bank Berhad

RHB Banking Group, headquartered in Malaysia, previously partnered with IDEMIA for a major project in the region. In July 2019, the two companies launched Southeast Asia’s first MOTION CODE™ credit card, a high-tech payment card with a dynamic security code – CVV2 – that changes automatically regularly, reducing the risk of fraud.