Nearly all of the more than 3.78 billion smart payment cards shipped last year were manufactured using virgin PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic. While PVC is not biodegradable, existing technology does allow for 40% to 50% of an EMV-compliant payment card to be made of recycled PVC. More than that amount of recycled PVC plastic content changes the mechanical property of PVC and makes it unsuitable for smart payment cards. Cards manufactured by CPI Group in the U.S. can be made with a core comprised of recycled plastic reclaimed before it becomes ocean refuse. American Express will issue card...