Japan's Toppan Printing Unveils 'Antiviral' Plastic Card In Bid To Ease Life Amid COVID

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2021) Japan's Toppan Printing company has presented a card made of special antiviral plastic, which banks will be able to use in the future, in a bid to respond to global needs for enhanced hygiene amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company's spokesman, Atsushi Kusano, told Sputnik on Friday.

According to the company, the card's uniqueness is that the antiviral component, which is able to reduce the concentration of viral particles on the surface by 99 percent or more within 24 hours, is applied not to the surface of a plastic card, but is used during the manufacturing of the material itself.

"The antiviral effect remains for a very long time since the component is embedded in the card material itself," Kusano said.

The company believes that the card can be used in different fields in the future and may be transformed into dual interface cards with both contact and contactless functionality, including smart credit cards.

"We intend to introduce them to market for use by financial institutions, medical institutions, food companies and others both in Japan and abroad," the spokesman said, noting that the company has no preliminary agreements with any institutions.

In addition to banking, the company expects "antiviral" cards to be used for issuing identity cards, including in government agencies.