"Eastar" PETG copolyester produced by Eastman Chemical Company (Europe: Tobias Asserlaan 5, NL-2517 KC The Hague) has been chosen by the European credit-card makers Gieseke & Devrient GmbH, Printoplast AG, Trueb Druck and Orell Fuesli for their "new generation of environmentally responsible cards." The first application of the new "e-card" or ecological card is for health insurance member identification in the German Federal Republic. The familiar plastic credit card is now developing into the "smart card" that frequently contains a number of special features. The smart card can be adapted to incorporate various protective devices, such as laser engraving, photograph of the card owner and chips and microprocessors.

PETG copolyester was selected for various cards because it meets all requirements for the new generation of smart card. The material is a thermoplastic polymer with excellent gloss and clarity. Cards made from this material can be colored, transparent, translucent or opaque according to customer requirements. Copolyester cards provide opportunities for source reduction because of the lower density compared to alternative materials. In addition, as the number of cards increases, each card can be recycled where existing recycle systems are in place.

In addition to the German Health Insurance application the PETG card is also used by BT (formerly British Telecom) in Britain for its Quick Reference Card and by Swatch in Germany for a Beeper number card. Other users include Micros Bank, several Swiss cantonal banks, Credit Suisse and Swiss Bank Corporation (SBS), for customer cards. Engineering companies and others use customer cards for programming process control equipment.