Seville, April 22, 2024.
The territorial director of Banco Santander in Andalusia, Manuel de la Cruz and the mayor of Seville, Jose Luis Sanz, have presented this morning the new urban furniture that the city debuts after the donation made by the financial entity and the agreement reached with the City Council; specifically 33 banks made with recycled bank cards, within the framework of a project that contributes to making Seville a more sustainable city. De la Cruz and Sanz have visited some of the facilities already installed, such as Virgen de Luján Street, República Argentina and Palacio de Yanduri.
This street furniture will temporarily remain in the current locations with the aim of raising awareness among the population about the importance of recycling and supporting the circular economy. After this period, the benches made with recycled cards will have a second life in parks and gardens in all the city’s neighborhoods.
He territorial director of Santander, Manuel de la Cruzhas explained that ““This donation is part of the commitment and collaboration that Santander maintains with the city of Seville and our commitment to being an increasingly responsible bank, reducing our impact on the environment.”. De la Cruz also wanted to thank the collaboration of all those Sevillians and customers who, by recycling their cards, have made this altruistic circular economy project possible and which shows a society that is increasingly committed to the planet.
The mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanzhas indicated that this is an initiative that “focuses on the need to continue incorporating more environmentally sustainable habits.” Sanz has stressed “the importance of companies and institutions setting an example to build a society that is increasingly respectful of our planet” and has thanked Banco Santander “that Seville has been chosen to carry out an initiative that will serve to raise awareness among many residents about recycling and to make our city a more sustainable city.”
Banco Santander offers its clients the possibility of handing over their expired or damaged cards to undergo a recycling process and transformation into street furniture. The customer deposits their expired card at the ATM and a few days later receives a message confirming that it has been recycled. The cards become raw material to manufacture this furniture, along with marine nets recovered from the bottom of the sea, giving a second life to the product. Currently, Santander is donating the manufactured benches to different Spanish cities such as Seville, whose city councils and officials are the ones who decide the most suitable locations for the Santander banks.
The entity has already recycled almost one million cards, equivalent to 4.9 tons of plastic; an initiative that is part of its commitment to the circular economy and to continue reducing its environmental impacts. Banco Santander has set the goal that, by 2025, all its cards will be made with sustainable materials in all the countries in which it operates. In Spain alone, Santander saved more than 22 tons of single-use plastic and 360 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2023 by issuing more than 4.5M cards made of sustainable materials.
