Product, Feature or Process Owner Release Date (Date made available to public)
26/05/2025
Project Description
GUARDIAN™ ENVIRO is an environmentally driven evolution of the established GUARDIAN™ polymer banknote substrate, designed to help central banks reduce reliance on virgin, fossil-based raw materials without introducing operational risk, performance trade-offs, or changes to the cash cycle.
Importantly, GUARDIAN ENVIRO is not a new substrate. It is the same proven GUARDIAN polymer used globally—produced using a more sustainable manufacturing approach. Banknotes made with GUARDIAN ENVIRO are identical in appearance, durability, security, and fitness-for-circulation performance.
The innovation lies in how the polymer film is manufactured. During production, fossil-based inputs, can be partially substituted with certified bio-renewable alternatives such as used cooking oil (a recovered waste stream from the hospitality industry) and tall oil (a by-product of sustainable forestry). These substitutions are made using the ISCC-certified mass balance method, a recognised and independently audited chain-of-custody system.
Thanks to CCL Secure’s vertical integration with Innovia Films—the sole producer of the bank-grade Propanote™ Clarity C film used in GUARDIAN banknotes—this approach is tailored, controlled, and scalable. Central banks can specify the proportion of certified renewable content that aligns with their environmental objectives, timelines, and budgets.
Crucially, no changes are required to banknote design, security features, printing processes, or equipment. GUARDIAN ENVIRO delivers the same trusted performance in circulation, while enabling central banks to take practical, transparent, and measurable steps toward greener banknotes—using existing infrastructure and certified processes available today.
Improvement of the Banknote or Printing Process
GUARDIAN™ ENVIRO improves the sustainability of the banknote substrate supply chain while fully preserving the stability and resilience of the banknote printing process.
From an operational standpoint, the most significant benefit is continuity. GUARDIAN ENVIRO is an extension of the existing GUARDIAN substrate, not a replacement. For central banks already issuing polymer banknotes, adoption requires no changes to banknote design, security features, printing equipment, quality assurance procedures, or cash handling systems. Banknotes produced with GUARDIAN ENVIRO perform exactly the same in circulation.
Efficiency is enhanced through flexibility and control. Central banks can select the level of certified renewable feedstock substitution that aligns with their sustainability goals and financial planning. This phased approach avoids the disruption, risk, and capital expenditure typically associated with sustainability initiatives that demand new materials, new machinery, or process redesign.
Effectiveness is reinforced through transparency and verification. GUARDIAN ENVIRO uses the ISCC mass balance method, ensuring that sustainable inputs are clearly accounted for and independently certified. This allows central banks to communicate environmental progress credibly to auditors, regulators, governments, and the public.
Critically, resilience is maintained throughout the cash cycle. Because the renewable raw materials are chemically identical to their fossil-based equivalents, there is no impact on print quality, durability, machine readability, or note lifetime. GUARDIAN ENVIRO therefore delivers environmental improvement without introducing complexity, compromise, or risk—an outcome central banks consistently prioritise.
Innovation and Unique aspects
The innovation behind GUARDIAN™ ENVIRO lies in practical, system-level thinking rather than radical disruption. It recognises that while sustainability is a strategic priority for central banks, change must be controlled, evidence-based, and compatible with existing operations.
GUARDIAN ENVIRO builds on the strong environmental credentials of polymer banknotes by addressing a previously under-utilised lever: the origin of the raw materials used to produce the polymer film itself. By enabling substitution of fossil feedstocks with certified bio-renewable alternatives, GUARDIAN ENVIRO reduces environmental impact at source rather than relying on offsets or future technologies.
A key differentiator is central bank choice. Institutions determine the proportion of renewable content used, allowing sustainability progress to be aligned with national strategies, procurement frameworks, and reporting requirements. This flexibility makes GUARDIAN ENVIRO accessible to central banks at different stages of their sustainability journey.
The use of the ISCC-certified mass balance method ensures outcomes are measurable, auditable, and internationally recognised. Because substitute feedstocks are chemically identical to fossil inputs, there is no compromise in security, durability, or performance.
Sustainable raw materials are incorporated during polymer film production by Innovia Films, CCL Secure’s sister company and the sole manufacturer of Propanote™ Clarity C. Innovia’s extensive experience with mass balance manufacturing enables reliable implementation and ongoing compliance.
Together, this vertically integrated capability delivers a credible, scalable, and cost-effective solution—allowing central banks to achieve genuine environmental progress using existing technology and infrastructure.
Environmental Impact
GUARDIAN™ ENVIRO delivers tangible environmental benefits by directly reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks within the banknote supply chain. Through the incorporation of bio-renewable materials such as tall oil and used cooking oil, GUARDIAN ENVIRO shifts polymer production toward more sustainable inputs—without affecting banknote performance.
The ability to specify varying levels of bio-based content allows central banks to take measurable steps toward sustainability while maintaining full operational confidence. This flexibility supports long-term environmental strategies and enables gradual progress rather than disruptive change.
Reducing fossil feedstock use also contributes to a lower carbon footprint. When combined with other carbon-reduction initiatives across production and logistics through the durability of the polymer substrate, GUARDIAN ENVIRO can help central banks meaningfully reduce the environmental impact of their banknote programmes. Crucially, these gains are achieved without increasing waste, shortening banknote life, or introducing additional processing stages.
The ENVIRO designation serves as an overarching framework for CCL Secure’s sustainability initiatives, providing clarity and consistency as further improvements are implemented over time. It ensures that environmental claims are grounded in certified processes rather than assumptions or offsets.
By focusing on feedstock origin—one of the most material contributors to environmental impact—GUARDIAN ENVIRO provides a practical, honest, and verifiable pathway to greener banknotes. It demonstrates that meaningful sustainability improvements are possible today, using existing technology, existing infrastructure, and independently recognised standards—making it a solution that central banks can adopt with confidence and zero risk to the cash cycle today.