Blackhawk Network (BHN) and Mastercard Announce Global Environmental Sustainability Initiative

November 18, 2024 at 08:00 AM EST

Mastercard, BHN transitioning open-loop prepaid cards from plastic to paper-based materials

Branded payments provider Blackhawk Network (BHN) today announced yet another step in its ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint at a global level. Supporting Mastercard’s commitment to remove first–use, PVC plastics from payment cards on its network by 2028, BHN is transitioning its network branded open-loop prepaid products, from plastic to paper-based materials. The collaboration first went live last year in the US and Canada.

Paper-based prepaid products still offer the convenience and reliability of shopping where Mastercard is accepted with minimal disruption to consumers, retailers and issuers. BHN has offered an array of paper-based and recycled products since 2017, and is making incredible strides in delivering on its 2022 pledge to convert most of its own original card products to digital form factors or paper substrates. The collaboration between Mastercard and BHN has helped reduce the plastic waste created during the traditional card production process.

“We are continuing to build and lead momentum in our industry-wide efforts to convert payment cards to more environmentally friendly materials,” said Talbott Roche, CEO and president of BHN. “Since making our 2022 pledge, we have moved at lightning speed to deliver—and have successfully done so. As of the end of last year, 60% of the physical cards in our network had been transitioned to paper-based materials, and we are well on our way to achieving our original goal of converting 75% by the end of this year. Taking those initiatives a step further, we are continuing to seek out collaborations with partners like Mastercard, banks, merchants, other card issuers and manufacturers that operate on a global scale. Mastercard’s reach, combined with our own, puts us in a rare position to not only reduce our footprint, but also to lead by example for other companies. We will continue to encourage more businesses to join our efforts and responsibly reduce the environmental impact of the products we use and consume.”

BHN’s ongoing efforts to transition open-loop prepaid cards from plastic to paper-based materials have been widely supported by its enthusiastic partners, many of whom are also making strides to protect the environment within their own businesses.

“Consumers support brands that share their values, giving us a unique opportunity to help our partners build stronger relationships while positively impacting our planet,” said John Levitsky, President of US Financial Institutions at Mastercard. “By scaling paper-based prepaid cards with BHN, we are enhancing optionality so partners can prioritize plastic reduction alongside our BHN Mastercard products.”

In addition to BHN’s work to drive the use of sustainable substrates for pre-printed products, it is continuing to invest in research & development that will enable the use of these materials in other more complex channels, such as print-on-demand production formats.

And, BHN continues to innovate in the digital card space—helping lessen the demand for plastic-based cards altogether while meeting consumers’ increasing proclivity for digital products with best-in-class and personalized digital product experiences.

More information on BHN’s transition to more sustainable cards is available here.

About Blackhawk Network (BHN)

Today, through BHN’s single global platform, businesses of all kinds can tap into the world’s largest network of branded payment solutions. BHN helps businesses grow revenue, increase loyalty, motivate and reward their teams, disburse funds and engage consumers. Branded payment solutions include the issuance and distribution of gift cards, egifts, corporate payouts and rewards, along with the technology to deliver these products in seamless, integrated ways. BHN’s network spans the globe with more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints. Learn more at BHN.com.