UK-based travel fintech Swiipr has launched an industry-first fully sustainable ‘eco card’ to replace single-use paper and plastic welfare compensation methods.
The new Swiipr Mastercard welfare cards enable airline ground staff to instantly distribute food and beverage payments when flights are delayed, offering instant, secure and compliant payouts that have universal retail compatibility.
With these cards, Swiipr hopes to eradicate the need for paper vouchers, which are typically time-consuming to process and issue, prone to fraud, and difficult for retailers and passengers to use.
Made entirely from leftovers from construction timber and other wood products, and sourced from a zero-landfill mill, the Swiipr eco card is fully recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable with the same rigidity and thickness of PVC cards.
“Paper vouchers should be a thing of the past,” explained Tara Spielhagen, co-founder and CEO at Swiipr. “But unfortunately, they’re still commonplace and used by many airlines. The digital eco-card is an easy-to-use, much more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative that streamlines the issuing process for airlines and improves the passenger experience, with minimal impact on the planet.”
One low-cost European airline has already adopted the new eco card, using the card to supply passengers affected by travel disruptions with welfare payments to support them as they complete their journey.
The card has been produced by paperboard company Holmen Board and Paper, listed by EcoVadis among the top one per cent of global businesses for sustainability. The company sources its wood from sustainably managed forests, where more trees are planted than felled.
Mark Browne, account manager at Holmen Board and Paper, discussed the launch: “Just like passengers, the eco cards have their own journey to make: from our growing forests, where we prioritise biodiversity and tree health, through our 99 per cent fossil-fuel-free mill and into the customer’s hand. Then they can be recycled and the whole cycle starts again.”
