Gemalto Unveils World’s First Bio-Sourced Degradable Smart Cards

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today launched the world’s first bio-sourced degradable smart cards. The card body is made from renewable material, is easily recyclable and compostable, and can be incinerated without emissions of toxic fumes. Additionally, Gemalto offers packaging made from recycled paper and vegetable inks that significantly reduce the product’s environmental impact. Gemalto’s bio-sourced smart cards will be ready for mass production in the first quarter of 2010.

“We are extremely proud to have developed the world’s first degradable smart cards the market has been seeking. These product launches lie within the scope of Gemalto’s corporate strategy to commit to sustainability, with products and manufacturing processes that have a reduced environmental impact.”

This innovation breakthrough answers a long-standing demand from banks and operators around the world. To meet this market need, Gemalto offers a bio-sourced smart banking card and a bio-sourced SIM card, each compliant to the industry standards in their respective sector. At Cartes & IDentification this year, Gemalto will be presenting both products on its stand.

The bio-sourced smart cards complement Gemalto’s portfolio of eco-friendly cards, made from paper-based materials for short-term use (e.g. scratch cards), as well as ABS* and PETG** based products, a chlorine-free alternative to PVC cards. The company opted for non-chlorine polymers in the late 1990’s and today, adopting material stemming from agro-products is a major step forward in promoting sustainable solutions for card vendors and end users alike.

“Gemalto has always believed an alternative solution was achievable,” commented Tan Teck Lee, Gemalto’s chief innovation and technology officer. “We are extremely proud to have developed the world’s first degradable smart cards the market has been seeking. These product launches lie within the scope of Gemalto’s corporate strategy to commit to sustainability, with products and manufacturing processes that have a reduced environmental impact.”

Note to editors

Gemalto seeks to minimize the environmental impact of its products all along their life cycle – from initial design and production through consumption to disposal. This implies paying close attention to their chemical content and end-of-life management and complying with applicable regulations, as well as anticipating new risks and growing concerns to protect the global environment. Notably, toxicity analyses are performed at key stages in the product development and production process. All Gemalto products have been available in RoHS*** format since July 2006.

The company also gives its customers the opportunity to subscribe to the carbon neutral production concept that was inspired by the Kyoto Protocol and which is based upon offsetting CO² emissions by helping to finance ecological actions throughout the world such as re-forestation or installing solar energy systems in developing countries.

Gemalto is engaged in programs to comply with national recovery, recycling and end-of-life regulations, and provides these services to its customers. To date, the company operates waste management schemes in France, Germany, Poland and the UK.

*	Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
**	Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol
***	Reduction of Hazardous Substances

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries. Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.

Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM), Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, smart card access badges, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.

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