CPI Card Group, a global leader in financial and commercial card production, issuance and services, is excited to announce that the company is working with Sustainable Cards LLC of Boulder, Colorado, to provide the most environmentally sensitive electronic key cards for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. As part of the host committee’s commitment to organizing the greenest political convention in history, they have selected sustainably harvested wooden key cards for the approximately 70,000 hotel key cards that will be produced for convention visitors.

Just being introduced to the U.S. now, the wooden key and gift cards have been used successfully in Europe for nearly 10 years. The environmental benefits of using this wood alternative include:

• Wood turns into non-toxic dirt to enrich the soil as it decomposes.
• The wood used comes from forests that are managed for sustainability.
• The wood card is composed of over 95% unaltered organic plant material and completely biodegrades.

Biodegradable wood key cards are one of the most cost-effective and visible green initiatives available to hotels today. By switching their key cards to biodegradable wood, hotels can reduce their harmful waste dramatically, while at the same time enrich the soil with eco-friendly material.

About CPI Card Group

A world leader in card manufacturing for over 20 years, CPI offers a single source for cards from foil cards and holograms, to translucent and smart cards. CPI is committed to the environment, as proven by our extensive green manufacturing initiatives. Our Colorado plant is powered by wind, making us the first and only card manufacturer in the United States to specify that 100% of our electricity is generated through wind power. CPI is proud to be an Associate Member of CCX. This certifies that our Colorado plant is Carbon Neutral, purchasing 100% wind electricity. CCX-emitting Members make a voluntary but legally binding commitment to meet annual GHG emission reduction targets.

CPI continues to look at all new “greener” material in the market, such as wood cards, biodegradable PVC (bioPVC), NatureWorks® PLA (the world’s first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually renewable resources), and PVC core sheets with a recycled content ranging from 25% to 100%. Come visit our web site!