● ‘Bioplastic’ Debit cards Captivating Cardholders

- SK Chemical contributes to Korea’s first ‘Ganada’ debit card comprised of Ecozen, a newly-developed    bioplastic
- Absence of bisphenol A & phthalate plasticizers minimizes discharge of hazardous materials at time of    disposal and recycling



The secret behind Woori Bank’s ‘Ganada’ debit card (The English word for this card is “debit card.” Do they want to use that term here?... that is igniting a green trend among card companies was revealed by a contributor to the development of the debit card, SK Chemical, which announced its R&D division’s goal of reaching an 80% share of the green market.

The statement made by SK Chemical on the 26th stated that over 300,000 cards were issued in just two months following Woori’s official release while further explaining that the highly popular ‘Ganada’ debit card contains Ecozen, an environmentally-friendly bioplastic.

The high-performance based PETG, polyethylene terephthalate, polymerized with natural bioelements marks the first domestic application of Ecozen, or any bioplastic for that matter, used in the manufacture of a payment card.

The most important underlying benefit of the ‘Ecozen’ card is that it is ecological.

The current polychloride (PC) and poly-vinyl chloride (PVC)-based composition of credit cards has been an issue with their discharge of both bisphenol A & phthalate plasticizers, which are known to be hazardous to the human body.

Ecozen, however, does not contain such harmful components but only bioelements extracted from grains and other natural sources, highlighting SK chemicals’ commitment to green-consciousness.

A Woori Bank official added, “Of the hundreds of millions of credit and debit cards issued, over 40 million are discarded every year. The PVC-based cards may potentially release hazardous dioxin accompanied by chlorine gas during the recycling process. This has led to the current termination of PVC-use in the electronics and daily goods industries. Ecozen provides a solution to the problems associated with the use of pollutants and harmful elements; and by being free of environmental hormones, customers enjoy peace of mind when using the ‘Ganada’ debit card.

Ecozen also minimizes the use of chemical-based adhesives. The ‘Ganada’ debit card is comprised of several layers of Ecozen film secured by heat applications that minimize the need for chemical-based adhesives during card manufacturing.

Co-developer and card mass producer on the project, KONA Communication Ltd., stated, “The ’Ganada’ debit card won a great deal of attention throughout the industry by being the first-ever card using natural tree elements and eliminating the need for foreign adhesives, which dramatically simplify the manufacturing process.”

‘Ecozen’ cards deliver a more fortified composition, which reduces the occurrence of surface layer stripping and promotes long-term use without fading or warping from exposure to chemicals or heat.

Woori Bank added that the ‘Ganada’ debit card with Ecozen is being applauded for promoting more environmentally-conscious card manufacturing practices rather than the commonly used PVC or PC raw materials and anticipates rising interest in the ‘Ganada’ debit card’s makeup to spark growth of the green movement within the card manufacturing industry.

SK Chemical has targeted entry into the credit card manufacturing market following their recent success with the Ecozen-based card.

An official from SK Chemical said, “Korea’s card manufacturing market output alone is a staggering 650 tons while the world market reaches an astronomical 9,000 tons. The dynamics of the environmental and structural benefits of such manufacturing practices will boost our market share up to 80% by 2020 through the development of applicable uses of green technology within the credit card, public transportation card and USIM card industry.”

Current users of the ‘Ganada’ debit card enjoy a 20% discount at Starbucks, Outback and TGIF, KRW 3,000 off movie tickets at the viewer’s theater of choice, a 5% reduction on hospital and pharmacy bill payments, and a 50% discount at theme parks.  


[Caption]
Woori Bank released Korea’s first-ever, bioplastic ‘Ecozen’-based ‘Ganada’ debit card developed by SK Chemical. Active marketing is underway for even broader applications of green materials in all manufacturing processes.