New report by HID reveals mobile access has a substantially lower negative environmental impact than traditional PVC cards.
HID has released its latest report, Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Mobile Access Vs. ISOProx PVC Credentials, detailing the environmental advantage of mobile access over traditional PVC cards for physical and logical access control.
The comprehensive LCA conducted by Sustainable Solutions Corporation assessed the environmental impact of HID’s mobile access solution versus its ISOProx PVC cards. The study, reviewed by an independent third-party panel, examined multiple sustainability factors, including carbon emissions, fossil fuel depletion and plastic waste.
It found that mobile access – utilising credentials stored on smartphones and watches – emits 75 percent less carbon dioxide and depletes 83 percent fewer fossil fuel resources than plastic access cards.
Combatting global challenges
HID director and head of consultants and regulations Steven Commander says the findings are invaluable in guiding the adoption of more environmentally friendly solutions. One key sustainability benefit of mobile access over PVC cards is the significant reduction in plastic waste – globally, more than 37.1 billion plastic cards are produced each year. “Switching to mobile access options can make a sizable dent in those figures,” Commander says.
The insights also support architects, engineers and specifiers in designing buildings that align with environmental certifications such as Green Star and NABERS in Australia, as well as international standards like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and BREEAM. By integrating smart access control systems, buildings can enhance energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and overall sustainability, contributing to higher certification ratings.
Sustainability driving access control decisions
Australian businesses are increasingly prioritising sustainability in their operations, following the introduction of mandatory sustainability reporting earlier this year and ongoing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. These require organisations to scrutinise their environmental footprint and consider sustainability in nearly every significant business decision.
End users are also demanding footprint transparency from suppliers in terms of operations, product sourcing and research and development practices. According to HID’s 2024 State of Security and Industry Report, sustainability was ranked as important or extremely important by 87 percent of global respondents, while 76 percent said sustainability is increasing in importance for their customers.
Moreover, HID’s 2024 State of Physical Access Trend Report identified a shift toward aligning security decisions with environmental goals. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the 1200-plus enterprise decision-makers surveyed worldwide stated that they now involve sustainability leaders in decisions regarding upgrades to physical access control systems.
When asked about the top three drivers behind physical access control solution upgrades, ‘to support the company’s sustainability goals’ was cited by 15 percent of respondents, with 12 percent citing features such as ‘low energy consumption hardware’. Energy-saving solutions were also cited by 14 percent as one of the top three trends shaping the wider access control industry.
The mobile access advantage
While sustainability is a key driver, mobile access credentials also provide enhanced security and operational productivity. Leveraging the built-in security features of smartphones – such as biometric authentication and passcodes – can provide an additional layer of protection that physical cards cannot offer. Furthermore, storing encrypted mobile credentials in users’ digital wallets taps into yet another layer of security and convenience.
Commander adds that digital credentials deliver multiple efficiencies that benefit the entire organisation. These include integration with existing mobile-enabled access control systems, mobile apps, and back-office systems such as scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and facility management. “This creates a unified platform to control and access multiple functions, benefiting both users and those responsible for managing these broader operational functions,” he says.
The future of sustainable access control
Sustainability is a key business driver, shaping innovations in access control technology. Commander says organisational commitments, like those made by HID to science-based targets to reduce carbon footprints and emissions, are shaping the mobile access market with sustainable, eco-friendly solutions that move the needle closer to net zero emissions.
“Undertaking LCAs to better understand the exact environmental impact of digital and physical access products is critical for informing sustainable designs and deployments,” he says.
Read HID’s Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) here.
Explore more sustainable options here.
