The company, based in Medway, Kent, produces plastic passes, ID cards and badges and membership cards for UK trade clients. It has spent the past two years researching new materials and suppliers to create a more sustainable option and has recently launched Eco S and Eco Flex card, a PVC-free, recyclable product made from 100% UK-sourced, recycled plastic.
The material is made from recycled high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), a product used by bath manufacturers. Offcuts from the bath manufacturing process are melted down into pellets and then into sheets from which PDC can manufacture its cards.
Managing director Andrew Roblett said that unlike many recycled and recyclable materials, Eco S is bright white, rather than having a yellow or brown look, and has no additives or degradation. Additionally it is mono-layered rather than multi-layered, meaning it holds its density and can easily be separated at recycling centres.
“For the environment this is absolutely the way forward,” he said. “We’ve lost a lot of business to smartphones, as have all card companies, but cards are definitely still in demand for lots of reasons, particularly where they are kept as keepsakes, from events for example.
“The whole market was drunk on PVC for years, and trying to wean them off it is hard unless you have the right product. But I think we have found it. We are ahead of the game with this and we hope that we can encourage customers to convert to it,” he added.
Roblett, who bought Plastic Data Card around three years ago, also highlighted the cards’ minimal carbon footprint with materials sourced from Yorkshire and inks from Kent making them a 100% UK-produced product.
Eco S is recommended for longer-term use such as membership cards, while Eco Flex is a lighter weight product designed for event badges and business cards.
Since launching the product the company has invested in new cutting equipment from Duplo and is looking at a new B1 cutter from Vivid. The cards are currently printed on the firm’s Heidelberg litho equipment and can be overprinted using Evolis technology.
Roblett said ultimately the company would be on the lookout for a high-volume digital press that can produce the finished article.
The 10-staff business has a turnover of around £1m.
