Mastercard Inc. has created a directory of sustainable materials and vendors to make it easier for banks to offer their customers eco-friendly credit cards. 

The financial services company says its sustainability directory will help banks in more than a dozen countries provide cards made from plastics that are recyclable, degradable, bio-sourced, and chlorine-free. 

The financial services industry produces 6 billion credit cards made of traditional PVC plastics annually, according to Mastercard. The cards are generally replaced every three to four years, and most of the expired cards end up in landfills. 

More than five dozen financial institutions have already issued cards with approved materials, among them Mauritius Commercial Bank and Credit Agricole of France, and Boston-based Santander Bank will soon be issuing similar cards, Mastercard says. 

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