American Express will soon launch credit cards made from plastic found in the ocean. In collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, an organization working to fight plastic pollution in the ocean, American Express intends to raise awareness of the environmental concern of plastic by launching its first-ever American Express card made almost entirely of plastic found in the oceans and on the coast.
According to a press release, the first ocean plastic card is currently in prototype stage, due to be tested and refined until its public launch sometime within the next 12 months.
Alongside the innovative product, American Express will “evolve its operations” to align with Parley’s environment-focused policies. The shifted focus includes the company-wide limiting of single-use plastic, the intercepting of plastic waste, and the reinvention of existing materials and plastic products. Specifically, American Express aims to reduce the use of “virgin plastic” in its cards, eradicate single-use plastic straws and coffee stirrers at offices and Centurion airport lounges within 30 days, increase recycling rates, pursue zero-waste certification for its New York City headquarters by 2025, and allow its workers “to be part of the solution” by participating in coastal and river clean-ups.
Doug Buckminster, the Group President of Global Consumer Services at American Express, said in a statement: “Our oceans play a vital role in our lives, the health of our planet and the health of travel and tourism, which American Express has long supported. It’s important that we raise awareness and do our part to keep our oceans blue.”
“Partnering with parley is the right next step as we pursue our larger vision of backing our communities and sustaining the planet we share,” he added.
On its website, Parley is described as a “space where creators, thinkers, and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of our oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction.” The organization previously contributed its Parley Ocean Plastic to the eco-friendly shoe collection “ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY.”
Of the partnership with American Express, the founder of Parley, Cyrill Gutsch, said, “Every second breath we take is created by the oceans. Without them, we can’t exist. American Express is creating a symbol of change and inviting their network to shape a blue future, one based on creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation.”
Image Credit: American Express
