DNP builds a circular loop for IC card materials

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) has developed a new technology to recycle plastic from used IC cards, such as credit cards, that contain metal components. In collaboration with partner companies, DNP has established a circular scheme that covers the entire lifecycle from card manufacturing and collection to recycling and the creation of new products.

Recycling plastic from IC cards is a challenge in waste management. Products made from composite materials, like the combination of metal and plastic in IC cards, are notoriously difficult to recycle. The different melting points of the materials complicate separation through conventional heat-based methods, resulting in most used IC cards being discarded. This poses an obstacle to meet national and international goals, including Japan’s Resource Circulation Strategy for Plastics, which aims for 100% effective utilisation of used plastics by 2035.

DNP, a leading domestic manufacturer of IC cards, developed a solution using its expertise in materials and processing. The new technology employs a combination of a crushing process and a specialised filtering process. This method efficiently separates the metal components, such as IC chips and antennas, from the plastic card body, allowing the plastic to be recovered as a reusable resource.

Recognising the sensitive nature of financial cards, the system incorporates a secure collection process. DNP has designed collection boxes that shred cards upon deposit, ensuring personal information is rendered unreadable before the recycling stage. The entire process, from secure collection to recycling and new product manufacturing, is now offered as a service to card-issuing companies and is currently patent-pending.

From the recycled plastic, DNP has conducted demonstration tests to create new items, including golf tees and planters, and plans to expand this product line. The company stated that its long-term objective is to achieve horizontal recycling, where the plastic from old IC cards is used to manufacture new ones.