When most of us think about single use plastic, we’re thinking about plastic shopping bags, disposable plastic straws, and styrofoam food containers.
It probably never crossed your mind that the plastic gift card you gave to someone last Christmas, or for their recent birthday, might be considered single use plastic.
But think for a second about all the plastic gift cards you’ve used once, then tossed in the trash. If that’s not single use, I don’t know what is.
In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about plastic gift cards, and alternatives you can use to buying this single use plastic.
RANDOM FACT According to Smithsonian Magazine, the plastic gift card was invented in 1994 by Blockbuster (the American chain of home movie rental stores) as a way to combat counterfeiting of their paper gift certificates. Plastic gift cards were then made mainstream by Starbucks in the early 2000s.
PLASTIC GIFT CARDS ARE MADE FROM PVC
Most plastic gift cards are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). According to Greenpeace, PVC is the most environmentally damaging plastic there is.
Not only is PVC not biodegradable, but it’s not degradable, meaning it barely breaks down at all.
But there’s another reason PVC is so toxic to the environment (and um, us humans): it’s made using chlorine, and the production of chlorine releases tons of toxins in to the air.
So long story short: the creation of PVC gift cards has toxic results, as does the inability for this plastic to break down and ever actually be gone from the planet.
CAN YOU RECYCLE PLASTIC GIFT CARDS?
Technically, yes. But it ain’t easy.
PVC can be melted down and recycled into new gift cards, or other types of plastic. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that most local recycling centers don’t accept PVC gift cards. This is because they are so small and thin that they fall through the machinery.
That means that, even if you put the gift card in your recycling bin, that card ends up being a single use plastic and probably ends up in a landfill.
Frustrating, right? (Welcome to the truth about recycling.)
You should absolutely check with your local city or town’s recycling center (the best way to do this quickly is by Googling your city name and state, and the word “recycling”).
If you live in a big city, your recycling program may accept PVC cards. Smaller cities and municipalities (like the one I live in) almost never accept the cards.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH PLASTIC GIFT CARDS YOU HAVE AT HOME?
Now that you know that plastic gift cards kinda suck, you’re probably looking around your desk or in your wallet and saying, “Well NOW what do I do?”
Been there, done that. I, personally, have several plastic gift cards sitting around my house, because I didn’t know better until recently.
For a while, there were a couple of companies that would let you mail a used gift card to them for recycling.
But then retailers started creating cards with technology (like microchips) that made it too difficult to recycle the cards. Now the option to recycle gift cards is really only available to large companies that can pay for the service.
Many website will tell regular consumers like you and me to ask a store if they recycle cards. That’s a good first step if you’re spending the card in-store (as opposed to online).
But be careful. Don’t just take the sales representative’s word for it. When you ask, “Do you recycle gift cards here?”, she might hear, “Can you throw this away for me?”
Say something like, “I don’t want this used gift card to go in the trash; does your store have a gift card recycling program?”
If the store doesn’t recycle the gift card, put it back in your pocket. Instead of letting them trash it, consider how you can reuse the card. (This also goes for gift cards you’ve used at home, to order online).
Find out if the gift card can be reloaded with funds (many can), and then find out which friend or family member you could gift the card to. Don’t know anyone who likes that store? Ask a co-worker or post about it on Facebook to see if someone can give it a second life.
TIPS FOR RETAILERS If you own or work for a retailer that sells plastic gift cards, consider providing gift card recycling services to your customers! Check out the TerraCycle program, which has affordable recycling options for all store sizes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THE MADNESS
It can be depressing to learn information like this. If you think back to all the gift cards you’ve given and received, you’ll start to feel seriously guilty.
Just remember two things:
1) Your gift card consumption is a result of a pretty broken system. It’s not your fault for falling into the trap. Live and learn.
2) There’s plenty you can do to stop perpetuating the cycle of single use plastic cards.
DON’T ASK FOR GIFT CARDS
Until and unless you’ve explained to your loved ones that most plastic gift cards are not recycled, don’t ask for them!
If you do want a gift card to a particular store, clearly state that you would like a digital gift card/credit. But be careful: if your aunt isn’t tech savvy, she may skip the digital option and go straight for plastic.
PURCHASE DIGITAL
As just mentioned, you can purchase and give a digital gift card. Digital cards can be delivered to a gift recipient via email, or you can print out the gift card details and barcode.
PRO TIP Never assume that the person you’re gifting a card to understands that it can’t be recycled. Always assume that they will fall into the trap of throwing out their gift card. They don’t know what they don’t know, so tell them what you’ve learned about reusing gift cards.
BUY GIFT CARDS FROM COMPANIES THAT OFFER SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS
If you feel like you must gift a physical gift card, opt for cards from retailers that offer biodegradable gift cards.
There are some large retailers—like the outdoor brand Orvis—that offer gift cards made from paper and other biodegradable mixed materials. A quick email or live chat with customer service will let you know if a store sells sustainable cards.
GIVE CASH
The rise in popularity of gift cards comes from the idea that a gift card shows that you put thought into the gift.
Giving someone a gift card to a specific store or restaurant says that you know where they like to shop or eat. This gives people the idea that gifting cash is tacky and thoughtless.
But seriously, think back to the last time you opened a card and it had a few bills in it—it didn’t suck, did it?
If you feel uncomfortable giving cash, consider writing the following note to the person receiving it:
“Dear Friend, in an attempt to stop using single use plastic gift cards, I’m giving you this cash instead. I hope you’ll use it to enjoy some shopping at your favorite store, or a meal at that restaurant you’re always talking about.”
PRO TIP Saving the planet isn’t always about the proper disposal/end use of a product. Manufacturers create single use plastic products because consumers buy them. If you decrease demand for single use plastics by purchasing alternative items (or giving cash), retailers will eventually stop creating them.
SPREAD THE WORD
Knowledge is power, and activates change, so share this article with your friends, family, and coworkers. (Sometimes mentioning it is not enough; send them the actual article, or print it out and give it to them).
Talk about this issue around the lunch table at work, or when someone asks you what you want for your birthday. Don’t shame or guilt anyone, just explain what you’ve learned about plastic gift cards and that you’re doing your part to use fewer of them.
