Published by Gbaf News
Posted on June 17, 2016
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, is supplying its bio-sourced Optelio EMV payment cards to support The Baltic Sea Project, a major environmental initiative by pioneering Scandinavian bank, Bank of Åland. Bank of Åland is making the bio-sourced Optelio cards, which are manufactured from corn-based PLA1 material, their primary choice. The cards are EMV certified and feature a highly creative card artwork2 with a front design that focuses exclusively on The Baltic Sea Project. Card account details and corporate logos have been moved to the back of the card. Gemalto is responsible for production and personalisation of the cards, operating under a multi-year partnership agreement.
The environmentally sensitive cards will be further supported by the bank’s new and unique ‘Aland-index’. This provides a carbon footprint calculation for every transaction which is digitally reported to the customer monthly, along with an invitation to offset these CO2 emissions. They will be issued to customers making new account applications, and when existing cards expire.
“Gemalto was the world’s first supplier of a bio-sourced payment card and has a proven track record for the successful deployment of this ground-breaking product,” said Peter Wiklöf, CEO at Bank of Åland. “They are clearly committed to the values of The Baltic Sea Project, and our new partnership opens the door to further joint green initiatives.”
“The Baltic Sea Project is a vital initiative, raising awareness of the threat posed to the environment at the very heart of the Bank of Åland community,” said Philippe Cambriel, President for Europe, Mediterranean and CIS at Gemalto. “Our broader Green Banking portfolio also offers extensive potential to build on the carbon footprint reduction delivered by the bio-sourced Optelio cards.”
1 Made from poly lactic acid (PLA), a plastic substitute, Gemalto’s bio-sourced card is non-petroleum based, biodegradable and is also non-toxic if incinerated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid
2 RBK Communication AB is the agency responsible for the innovative card design where the front of the card is entirely devoted to the Baltic Sea Project, ensuring that the card holder can feel proud in supporting this cause.
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