Cash & Payment Sustainability Forum™ – Innovative Approaches to Repurposing Unfit Cotton Banknote

On 5th April people from 48 central banks and 13 state printing works registered to hear how central banks around the world today are repurposing unfit cotton banknotes. This was the first of three events looking at this important subject.

The next seminar is on 26th April with four organisations describing their work creating innovative new solutions. We will hear from,

- Blendpaper, Brazil
- Landqart, Switzerland
- Biobanknote®, Colombia
- Oberthur Fiduciaire, France

A truly circular economy is at the top of the disposal hierarchy. In that context, Blendpaper has found a way to put banknote waste back into the start of the paper making process to create new banknote paper. Landqart is working with Hughes Energy and the Wilson system to allow cotton banknote waste, including composite banknote substrate, to be repurposed. The autoclave process can create waste that can be used as a raw material in new products, although the research on this is still going on.

Biobanknote composts Colombian banknotes, As an offshoot of this work, it has developed BiobankMulch, a protective ring of composted banknote material designed to allow newly planted trees to thrive and grow.

Finally, Oberthur has been developing multiple streams of work to allow banknote waste to create a wide range of new products from building materials to consumer goods. It has done this by working with local companies and so offers both new opportunities for the waste and an example of how to explore new options.

The final seminar will be in July focusing on recycling of polymer substrate.