AMSTERDAM--(Business Wire)--
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today
announced an expanded portfolio of eco-friendly products that are available for
banking, telecom and government customers worldwide. This portfolio underscores
Gemalto`s long-standing commitment to develop innovative digital security
solutions, which enhance and protect everyday digital interactions, including
through production and logistics processes designed to reduce the company`s
overall environmental impact.
"Gemalto has a long track record of environmentally friendly practices and is
committed to these in all aspects of our business," stated Paul Beverly,
executive vice president of Gemalto. "For years Gemalto has been developing eco
friendly products, such as chlorine free or bio sourced cards, implementing new
production practices to reduce water and energy consumption and minimizing waste
production. These continuous efforts contribute to our corporate goal of
sustainability. Today we are grouping all of our new and existing eco friendly
product innovations into one portfolio to provide our customers with clear
visibility on our environmentally sensitive product options. This will allow us
to partner with our customers toward the mutual goal of sustainability."
Gemalto`s eco friendly product portfolio reduces environmental impact in three
key areas:
* Chlorine free manufacturing materials
In 1997 Gemalto began to move to non-chlorine polymers resulting in the majority
of current manufactured products being chlorine free. Some examples of these
non-chlorine based products include:
* Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) based card products -PETG is a
chlorine-free alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with similar properties,
which can be incinerated without creating harmful gases or air pollution.
* ABS molded cards - These cards are PVC free and significantly reduce the
amount of waste during the manufacturing process.
* PC TWIN Reader -The first smart card reader which satisfies eco-design
criteria, anticipates legal requirements on hazardous substances and is easier
to recycle.
* Small form factor cards - Innovative card designs which reduce the amount of
material required in production of cards for the telecommunications and banking
industries.
* Hazardous substance reduction
Gemalto evaluates and actively looks for ways to reduce the use and disposal of
hazardous substances in manufacturing processes. Some examples of this effort
include:
* In Gemalto`s U.S. Advanced Card Center in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania the
Environmental, Health and Safety team succeeded in completely eliminating ink
jets used in marking cards during production, replacing them with laser
inscription. This shift eliminated both the ink itself and the associated
solvent based cleaners, both considered volatile organic compounds and hazardous
solutions.
* Rags which previously were discarded in the process of cleaning manufacturing
equipment are being treated and recycled for reuse.
* Increased used of vegetable based inks in the printing process.
* Promote renewable and recycled material
Gemalto is active in use and promotion of renewable and recycled materials
reducing the overall environmental footprint of the production processes. The
following are some examples of how Gemalto has promoted these materials in
product development and company programs.
* Polylactic acid (PLA) card - A new bio-sourced renewable material derived from
corn, sugarcane or potato starch. This material is easily recyclable and
compostable through small scale industrial units.
* Paper-based materials for short-term use, such as scratch cards.
* ECOPack - Eco friendly packaging made of 100% recyclable materials for Gemalto
fulfillment services. This line of packaging products also includes smaller
package size options for overall reduction in material use.
* Waste material from manufacturing process is being recycled and used in the
production of sailboat masts.
Gemalto is committed to ongoing compliance with international environmental
guidelines and has developed a comprehensive sustainability strategy which
extends to all business practices. The following certifications are examples of
the deliberate steps towards achieving the goal of sustainable business
practices.
* ISO 14001:2004 certification: Gemalto has been in compliance with this process
since 2001 and has certified 20 manufacturing facilities worldwide. This
international environmental management system standard requires the
establishment of company specific goals to make continuous improvements and
monitor progress against the defined goals.
* KEMA certification for power consumption. Gemalto obtained this voluntary
certification, demonstrating its commitment to promote energy efficiency in all
aspects of its production processes
The efforts toward sustainable practices and products are part of Gemalto`s
overall belief in being a responsible global corporate citizen. These practices,
coupled with products that provide security for digital interactions and
identity protection ensure that the billions of users of Gemalto products
experience a convenient and safe digital life. In an increasingly connected
society, Gemalto is leading the way in making digital interactions secure, easy
and eco friendly.
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security
with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out
of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries.
Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to
communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work-anytime, anywhere-has
become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are
convenient, enjoyable and secure.
Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for
mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health
and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by
supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range
of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM),
Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) in mobile phones, smart banking cards,
smart card access badges, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online
identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems
and services to help our customers achieve their goals.
As the use of Gemalto`s software and secure devices increases with the number of
people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to
thrive over the coming years.
For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.
Gemalto
Rémi Calvet
T.: +33 (0) 1 55 01 64 10
M.: +33 (0) 6 22 72 81 58
remi.calvet@gemalto.com
or
Aline Borne
T.: +33 (0)1 55 01 51 05
M.:+33 (0)6 16 29 87 04
aline.borne@gemalto.com
or
TBWA\Corporate
Rebekah Lahey
T.: +33 (0) 1 49 09 26 58
rebekah.lahey@tbwa-corporate.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
