The Cheshire-based company has already produced more than 560,000 cards for UCAS over the last two years.

In 2012 it will continue to produce the membership cards on its ISO 14001 recognised biodegradable material, which UCAS demands since it achieved the standard in 2009.

Kristine Murray, marketing account manager at UCAS, said: "As we have charity status, we take our green credentials seriously, and have very specific requirements.

"We are committed to reducing the amount of plastic in our cards until a reliable material could be found to be fully bio-degradable, while still being resilient. Therefore, it was an easy decision for us to partner with PCS, who share our commitment to sustainability."

Rob Nicholls, PCS managing director, added: "We’re delighted that UCAS has opted for the bio card for the third year, and we hope that other organisations will follow this example.

"It is clear that membership cards are still an important tool for many businesses and organisations, and the bio card is a great way of maintaining this while adding to their green credentials, especially as the decision to ‘buy bio’ costs a company only a small percentage more than the standard PVC equivalent."