PVC plastic cards have long been the industry standard for making ID Cards, but regular PVC is not a renewable resource. Taking care of our planet is important! ID SuperShop is proud to offer you Biodegradable PVC ID cards for your ID card system. These earth-friendly identification cards are available as blank, white, graphics quality ID cards, or with HiCo magnetic stripes, to serve your multiple system requirements.

BIO-PVC ID cards naturally biodegrade when placed in fertile environments where microorganisms are present, such as in compost, waterways, the ocean, dirt, landfills and places where there are naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. While traditional PVC ID cards are not biodegradable, BIO-PVC cards completely biodegrade within one to five years when exposed to the above environments, making them an eco-friendly solution for keeping your organization safe and secure!

If BIO-PVC ID cards are not exposed to specific environmental elements they will not biodegrade, however BIO-PVC cards can still biodegrade in landfills when exposed to the appropriate conditions (e.g., water, soil, nutrients, and naturally occurring bacteria and fungi). The biodegradability of BIO-PVC in landfills is slower than in composting environments because of the lack of oxygen within landfills, however anaerobic bacteria (microorganisms that do not require oxygen) support the biodegradation of BIO-PVC cards. Please note that BIO-PVC cards that are isolated from the environment, for example those that have been placed in a non-biodegradable plastic garbage bag, will not be exposed to the proper elements and will not be able to biodegrade.

The bioPVC® material of BIO-PVC cards that print in your ID card printer, has been tested under aerobic (with oxygen) conditions in controlled composting tests, and the results of these tests demonstrated that bioPVC® is biodegradable in aerobic conditions. Additionally, a laboratory test simulating the anaerobic conditions found in municipal landfills (as oxygen is expected to be essentially absent in a typical landfill), tested the ability of the bioPVC® material to biodegrade in anaerobic conditions.

The results of this test were consistent with the principles of environmental microbiology. After the introduction of the anaerobic microbial community to the environmental conditions of the lab (moisture content, soil type, nutrient levels, oxygen levels, temperature, and food source), there was a time delay before the microbial community reached its peak performance in biodegradation, so although the rate of biodegradation is higher under aerobic conditions, this study confirms that BIO-PVC will biodegrade under anaerobic conditions as well.

The results of these studies are certified by ENVIRON, who recognizes that the conclusions from their studies represent their professional judgment based upon the available information and conditions existing during the course of the study. For further information about BIO-PVC ID cards or any other eco-friendly ID products call us today! 877-943-7467