The sustainable alternative for payment, membership, and access cards: Copecto’s TIMBERCARD® replaces conventional plastic with a durable, wood-based card body made from renewable resources.
As shown in the report by Juniper Research, consumer expectations are reshaping modern banking, with growing demand for products that reflect personal values, sustainability, and premium experience. Wooden cards represent premium with purpose – sitting at the intersection of sustainability, premium experiences, and meaningful differentiation for modern banking brands.
Read the full report by Juniper Research, conducted in February 2026, to explore how these shifting expectations are redefining banking products and why growing demand for wooden cards signals a move toward more sustainable, identity-driven, and premium customer experiences.
Every year, billions of cards are issued worldwide – payment cards, access badges, loyalty cards, and membership programs. Most of them share the same material foundation: plastic. While individual cards are small, their global scale creates a significant material footprint. The card industry produces an estimated 4.5 billion payment cards annually, equivalent to roughly 22,500 tons of plastic entering circulation every year. After only a few years of use, many of these cards are replaced, often ending up in landfills where plastic can persist for centuries.
The question is not whether cards will continue to exist.
The question is what they should be made from.
Copecto’s TIMBERCARD® replaces PVC with FSC-certified maple wood and paper layers from Europe.
Engineered through a specialized heat and pressure process, the card body is made entirely from renewable raw materials and bonded with a home-compostable, biodegradable adhesive. While the material is sustainable, all NFC and payment electronic components remain identical to conventional cards.
The Copecto TIMBERCARD® card body has been independently certified under the flustix LESS PLASTICS | PRODUCT seal. Laboratory analysis found 0.00% plastic in the card body according to the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive definition. The product therefore qualifies for the highest certification category:
MIN. 99.25% plastic-free
The certification is based on independent laboratory testing using internationally recognized analytical methods such as TED-GC/MS and thermogravimetric analysis.
For partners and issuers, this provides a verifiable foundation for communicating sustainability claims.
A card program that combines certified technology, distinctive design, and a new material approach.
Issued annually, this represents 22,500 tons of plastic entering global circulation every year.
A single cubic meter of sustainably sourced wood provides enough raw material for large-scale card programs.
Life-cycle analyses confirm a significantly reduced carbon impact compared to conventional PVC cards.
The highest certification category awared by flustix LESS PLASTICS verified through independent testing.
The wood used for Copecto’s TIMBERCARD® is sourced from sustainably managed FSC-certified forests in Europe. Sustainable forestry ensures that timber harvesting does not exceed the forest’s natural regeneration capacity. In fact, actively managed forests often achieve higher annual growth rates and increased carbon storage compared to unmanaged forests. This approach supports three key goals simultaneously: Responsible material sourcing, forest ecosystem stability and long-term availability of renewable resources
A sustainable product must not only reduce material impact – it must also perform reliably over time. The Copecto TIMBERCARD® is designed for everyday use and has undergone extensive ISO testing and payment network validation procedures similar to those used for conventional payment cards. The wooden card body is more rigid than standard plastic cards, providing structural stability during normal usage. The result is a card designed to remain functional throughout typical card lifecycles.
Cards remain one of the most widely used physical interfaces between organizations and people – from financial transactions to identity, membership, and access.
With TIMBERCARD®, Copecto introduces a renewable material approach that can be integrated across a wide range of card environments while maintaining the functionality modern systems require. Typical applications include:
• Payment cards for banks and fintechs operating in regulated financial environments
• Non-payment cards such as business cards, membership cards, access credentials, and loyalty programs
Across each of these environments, the underlying principle remains the same:
combining established smart-card technology with a card body made from renewable materials.
The TIMBERCARD® is engeneered for regulated payment enviroments and fully adaptable to non-payment applications such as access, membership, and premium closed-loop programs.
One card body. One technical foundation. Integrated NFC enables secure, contactless communication across both - without altering the product.
The TIMBERCARD® gives non-payment cards the premium look and feel of real wood, creating a unique brand and customer experience. Ideal for membership, loyalty, warranty, and gift cards, as well as ID cards and brand experiences. The sustainable wooden card body combines natural aesthetics with durable personalization options.
Learn more about TIMBERCARD® for banking
For everyday brand engagement and customer identification, the TIMBERCARD® brings the premium look and feel of real wood to non-payment card applications.
Ideal for membership cards, loyalty programs, warranty cards, gift cards, access credentials, and brand experiences, it combines a sustainable wooden card body with durable personalization options to create a memorable and distinctive customer touchpoint.
Learn more about TIMBERCARD® for Non-Payment.png)
In Copecto’s News section, you’ll find the latest information, industry insights, and company news related to sustainable card solutions. Learn more about innovative alternatives to plastic cards, new developments in wood and bio-based cards, and Copecto’s latest projects, partnerships, and milestones. Discover how sustainable materials are shaping the future of card products and brand communication.
Stay up to date with the latest news from Copecto.Make renewable materials part of your card programs with Timbercard™.
Bring Timbercard™ to your program