FCB and RHB, a Malaysian bank, collaborated with WWF to launch the Ocean Harmony debit card, the first bank card in the APAC region made from recycled plastic.
Plastic is a big problem in Malaysia. A 2020 report by the WWF flagged the region as having the largest per capita use of plastic packaging in APAC, responsible for over half the plastic litter in the world’s oceans. On top of this, Malaysia’s plastic credit card and debit card circulation is rapidly growing, totaling 50 million cards in 2020 alone.
The Ocean Harmony debit card sets out to address this plastic issue, while also allowing its holders to make a tangible contribution to the preservation of Malaysia’s marine life. In line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14, life below water, account holders can send their earned profit to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s (UMT) sea turtles research unit. The donated funds enabled UMT researchers to tag sea turtles and track their migratory patterns, noting any changes brought on by plastic pollution in the turtles’ habitats.
The campaign resulted in approximately 70,000 new accounts with a 63% debit card activation rate, and RM42,000 in donations to UMT.