n the last few years, environmental awareness charities have been working overtime to help us understand exactly what cost to the environment human activity incurs - and with good effect. These days, the average person works overtime to minimize their carbon footprint and make sure they conserve as much energy as possible: whether that's by participating in reforestation projects, taking a stand against flying or simply remembering to recycle waste products.
However, as the demand for green products from our service providers continues to rise, this demand has also spread to the credit industry. In fact, a recent survey undertaken by APACS - the UK trade association for payment providers - shows that the credit card industry is now catering to consumers who want green credit cards more than ever before.
According to APACS spokeswoman, Sarah Quinn, there has been a "sea change" with respect to the terms of credit card companies providing more environmentally friendly financial options. Ms Quinn commented:
"The current agenda, which is very green conscious, will be something that the market is very aware of. Credit cards particularly are very, very responsive to what customers want and if this is something that customers want I'm sure you'll see more of them."
She further remarked that, while green credit cards will appeal to a number of financial credit consumers, they may also let many borrowers down. This is because while green credit card providers will often donate money to charities, they may fail to offer competitive balance transfer deals or interest rates.
When looking for environmentally friendly credit cards, green consumers are likely to look for two key factors: the ability of the credit card to donate to environmental charities and whether the material from which the credit card is made is environmentally conscious. Many credit cards are made from PVC which, when incinerated, releases highly toxic chemicals into the atmosphere - chemicals that can alter and disrupt development, reproduction and growth across the world.
If you're a credit card owner and you're keen to switch your credit card provider to one that is more environmentally aware, you'll find a variety of green credit card options available to you. Barclaycard, for example, have just released a new green credit called 'Breathe', which gives money to green charities and is made from environmentally-friendly material. What's more, many consumer comparison sites on the internet will allow you to compare credit cards and other deals from major credit card companies, so you can be sure that you'll be able to find the greenest credit card on offer.
