Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

26 Aug. 2021

4 min read

News in Brief

The Central Bank of Chile is urging citizens to ferret out any spare change they may have lying around amid a national shortage of coins. In a series of recent Twitter posts, the central bank warned that ‘COVID-19 had affected the circulation of cash’ and hurt small retail vendors.

Coins Companies News

Phil Holland

28 June 2021

4 min read

Sustainability and Protecting the Environment in Banknote Presses and Printing

COVID has given companies the opportunity to reflect and look at sustainability and the environment with more pressing urgency. There have been webinars and virtual conferences where this topic has been headlining, with paper manufacturers in particular demonstrating their activities to reduce carbon footprints and ensure the future and life cycle of banknotes is protected.

Companies Sustainability Technology

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

5 min read

News in Brief

Swedish cash management service provider Loomis has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire certain assets and liabilities of SecurePost AG, a subsidiary of Die Schweizerische Post (Swiss Post Group).

Companies News Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

2 min read

Telling the Cash Environmental Story to the Green Community

In November 2021 the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, will take place in Glasgow. Currency News™ has started work to issue a paper, ‘Cash: A Roadmap to Sustainability’, ahead of the conference.

Studies, Reports Sustainability

Tim Berridge

29 April 2021

4 min read

What Makes Polymer Banknotes Green?

For many people, their perception of plastic is negative. Plastic is one of the world’s ‘bad guys’ these days, with newspaper headlines and TV programmes dominated by images of polluted oceans or mountainous garbage dumps. But, as always, the truth is more nuanced than the ‘all plastic is bad’ trope might have you believe.

Banknotes Sustainability

Nikki Strickland

29 April 2021

4 min read

Cash As Part of a Sustainable Future Payments Mix

The UK was the first major economy to pass laws for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has cut emissions by more than 40% since 1990. It’s also committed to reduce its emissions at least 68% compared to 1990 levels – this is the fastest rate of reductions from a major economy to date and will help contribute towards the international goal of limiting the global temperature rise to below 1.5°C.

Comment Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

G+D and UN Global Compact – Greener Banknotes

With a climate goal of a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2022 (base year 2016), Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and its papermaking and feature subsidiary Louisenthal state that they are making a significant contribution towards climate protection – surpassing the goal, and achieving a reduction of 32% in 2020.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

Portals Invests to Deliver Sustainability

Portals published its Sustainability Report on April’s Earth Day. With two UK paper mills, one at Overton making banknote paper based on cotton and one at Bathford making security papers based on wood pulp, sustainability is potentially a big issue for the company.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

4 min read

Sustainability – the New Normal After the Pandemic

The last year has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to surprise and to wreak huge damage. But perhaps there is another global issue that is just as urgent – namely, climate change and, as part of that, environmental sustainability.

COVID-19 Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

1 min read

World Earth Day – What is Our Industry Doing to Support Sustainability?

As described in April's Comment article, other than the current pandemic, the main topic of major global concern – and one that will endure long after the pandemic has (we hope) receded – is the environment.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

2 min read

G+D Partners with Doconomy for Payments

G+D has also announced that it is joining forces with the Swedish fintech start-up Doconomy to enhance payment solutions with digital sustainability-oriented tools.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

3 min read

The ECB’s Environmental Sustainability Journey

At Intergraf's just-concluded Currency+Identity online conference, Bernadette O’Brien presented the work done by the European Central Bank (ECB) on improving the environmental sustainability of euro banknotes. From its first life cycle assessment (LCA) of the first euro series in 2004 through to its 2020 Product Environmental Footprint project, the ECB has steadily worked to ensure the euro banknotes are ‘good citizens’.

Central Banks Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

4 min read

Has Globalisation Had its Day?

Globalisation is the result of the ability to move and communicate easily with others leading eventually to global cultural, political and economic integration.

Comment COVID-19 Sustainability

Clemens Berger

29 March 2021

9 min read

Banknote Security – Don't Take the Risk! Embedded Security Features are the Benchmark for the Overwhelming Majority of Banknotes

The technology platforms used for banknotes continues to rise ever higher, for all security levels – 1, 2 and 3. Challenging and beating the counterfeiter is central to the design, functionality and security of banknotes. And we note that with a well-defined security feature matrix to raise the bar, there can be success.

Banknotes Counterfeiting Substrates, Features

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

4 min read

Seaweed – a Natural Solution to Keep Banknotes Clean

COVID-19 has impacted cash usage in a number of ways. Some were inevitable, such as a reduction in use due to the move to online shopping and lockdowns. But one was avoidable and has unfairly and negatively affected both the use and perception of cash, and that was that it carried, and was capable of transmitting, the coronavirus.

Banknotes Sustainability Technology

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

UK Cash Industry Joins Forces to Meet Climate Targets

In the last quarter of last year, the UK bank NatWest established three cross industry working groups to improve the environmental performance of the UK’s cash cycle. Involving 36 organisations, the working groups looked at energy, plastics and CO2 to establish best practice and to drive change.

Companies Sustainability