Just in time for Earth Day, CPI Card Group’s donation of 25,000 paper prepaid cards to Street Charity underscores a growing realization that simple, low-cost payment tools can expand access to aid while advancing sustainability efforts.
The initiative highlights an emerging use case for single-use gift cards that are both less expensive to produce and more environmentally conscious than traditional options. It also offers a practical way to support individuals in need who may not have access to virtual cards via a phone or other device.
The cards are built on the Discover Network Prepaid Cards platform and their use is limited to fast-food and quick-serve restaurants nationwide. This ensures that donations are directed toward meals rather than cash.
Street Charity supports crisis centers, shelters, and nonprofit partners serving individuals experiencing food insecurity.
Sustainability Goals
Paper-based alternatives to plastic are becoming a popular option across the industry, not just for charitable initiatives but also as part of broader sustainability efforts. Single-use prepaid cards are particularly well suited to paper, as don’t require the durability of traditional credit or debit cards intended for repeated use.
“The announcement from CPI underscores two main industry initiatives,” said Jordan Hirschfield, Director of Prepaid at Javelin Strategy & Research. “First is the fact that physical cards are not going away, but instead are often complementary to digital products. Second is that the prepaid industry consistently works to reduce its impact on the environment through use of eco-friendly materials. It’s important for the entire ecosystem to accept both as goals in efforts to fulfil sustainability goals.”
Verifying the Chain of Custody
CPI has played an active role in these efforts. Since 2022, the company has produced nearly 100 million eco-focused paper payment cards.
The market is demanding greater transparency around sourcing. In response, CPI has earned certification through the Forest Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody program. This certification ensures that wood-based materials are tracked from responsibly managed forests through to the final paper products, and that FSC-certified materials are properly identified or kept separate from non-certified inputs throughout the supply chain.
This trend is likely to accelerate. A CardRates.com survey conducted last year found that nearly 60% of Gen Z cardholders consider sustainability a top priority.
