Biodegradable Credit Card... Gone Long Before the Balance Is

Someone forwarded this post to me from the New York Times and I thought it was just too funny to pass up. The credit card industry is going green - with the first biodegradable credit card.

Discover is offering the industry's first biodegradable credit card, which will supposedly break down when exposed to landfill conditions. The green credit card is made of biodegradable PVC, 99% of which will be absorbed back into environment given the right conditions. In fact, with exposure to soil, water, compost and other microorganisms, the card will degrade completely within 5 years.

Anything that can completely degrade in 5 years is impressive. However, while certainly more sustainable, it seems like using biodegradable PVC for just one of their cards is sort of like entering the race and not crossing the finish line. Why not apply the technology to all of their credit cards and then they would really have something to brag about…