From CNET: What to do with your expired credit cards is always a conundrum. Most likely they'll end up sitting in a drawer somewhere with your other obsolete belongings, before eventually making their way to landfill. But what if you could recycle them efficiently, easily and securely, no matter what bank you're with or where you are in the world?
That's Mastercard's hope, as the company announced the rollout of its global card recycling program on Wednesday. Mastercard wants to partner with banks to provide collection boxes where you can deposit your expired debit and credit cards -- even if they're not issued by Mastercard -- where they'll be shredded and sent for recycling. The material from your card, including the chip, will then be separated and smelted so it can be turned into new products.
Credit cards might be small, but with around 25 billion cards currently in circulation, all that plastic can add up when the time comes to dispose of them. Every little bit that can be recycled helps. Currently about one garbage truck's worth of plastic is dumped in the ocean every minute, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Plastic waste can harm biodiversity by damaging natural habitats and killing wildlife. In turn, this can negatively impact our ability to prevent climate-linked weather events and can damage our food production capabilities. Producing plastic also takes its toll on the environment by sending polluting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
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