Santander launches bank card recycling scheme in some branches

The pilot scheme in 28 branches recycles bank cards into plastic pellets and is expected to last for up to six months.

Santander has introduced a pilot card recycling scheme in some branches, allowing people to recycle expired or unused plastic cards such as debit and credit cards (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Archive)

Santander has introduced a pilot card recycling scheme in some branches, allowing people to recycle expired or unused plastic cards such as debit and credit cards.

Specialised self-service machines allow people to shred their unwanted cards into more than a hundred pieces, so they can have peace of mind they are securely disposed of, the bank said.

The machines are free for anyone to use, not just Santander customers, the bank said.

The cards will be recycled into plastic pellets, ready to be reused.

Bank cards are traditionally very difficult to recycle

Fermin Martinez de Hurtado Yela, Santander UK

The pilot is expected to last for up to six months, before Santander confirms the next steps.

Credit and debit cards tend to be made up of several layers of laminated plastic, metal oxide particles, solvents, inks and a magnetic strip.

They may take hundreds of years to break down after going to landfill, Santander said.

Fermin Martinez de Hurtado Yela, head of sustainability and responsible banking at Santander UK, said: “Bank cards are traditionally very difficult to recycle.

“With 92 million debit cards and 60 million credit cards currently in UK circulation, it is a significant challenge and one that we want to play our part in helping.”

Here are the 28 branches involved in the pilot card recycling scheme, with their postcode:

– Beaumont Leys, LE4 1DG

– Blackburn, BB1 7DP

– Bolton, BL1 1HQ

– Bromley, BR1 1NA

– Chelmsford, CM1 1BE

– East Ham, London, E6 2HJ

– Enfield, EN 2 6AA

– Greenford, UB6 9PT

– Harlesden, London, NW10 4NX

– Harrow, HA1 1JX

– Hornchurch, RM12 4HR

– Hounslow, TW3 1DJ

– Huddersfield, HD1 2ER

– Keighley, BD21 3PE

– Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1DH

– Leeds, LS1 5HD

– Leicester, LE1 3GD

– Lewisham, London, SE13 6AQ

– Luton, LU1 2AB

– Milton Keynes, MK9 3GB

– Oldham, OL1 1HE

– Peckham, London, SE15 4TG

– Reading, RG1 2AX

– Stockport, SK1 1PL

– Stratford, London, E15 4QN

– Swansea, SA1 3EE

– Walthamstow, London, E17 7BH

– West Bromwich, B70 7QB