Innovation contributes to the efficiency of cash

Unilever has announced that it will begin consumer trials of a seaweed-derived compound that the company claims can create self-cleaning surfaces, the applications of which are wide-ranging, and include banknotes.

The European Payments Council (EPC) Cash Efficiency Working Group (CEWG) has published some observations on trends and drivers for cash usage and related challenges for the cash cycle. The CEWG is responsible for formulating proposals for increasing the efficiency of cash handling and making recommendations for best practices to be shared within the entire SEPA community.

Following the UK Government's announcement to protect the future cash system, a new survey shows that 76% of consumers think that the Government should do more to help people continue to have access to their cash.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. While the environmental footprint of cash is modest, several initiatives are aiming at reducing it further.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. While the environmental footprint of cash is modest, several initiatives are aiming at reducing it further.

The pilot, jointly spearheaded by Link and PayPoint, enables consumers to make free cash withdrawals from participating convenience stores and is part of Link’s efforts to maintain access to cash in remote locations and in the most deprived areas in the UK.

Prosegur Cash has launched a comprehensive sustainability plan with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of its activities. The company aims to achieve a 1.5% reduction in the direct CO2 emissions of its armoured fleet by 2020. To do so, the main levers are the hybridisation and electrification of their vehicles.

During our recent webinar, four start-ups introduced their solutions and debated how they plan to address the ongoing challenges faced by cash today and in particular access to and acceptance of cash.

During the third and final webinar, our panel combining industry experts and futurists, designed a desirable future for cash and discussed the roadmap to make it happen. Our next Webinar ‘Is CashTech the Future of Cash’ will look at how new entrants can leverage technology to disrupt the cash cycle.

CashTech is, to coin a phrase, the encounter of cash and technology. CashTech gathers companies which adopt software and communications technology to provide improved cash services - including access to cash and acceptance of cash payments - as well as to enhance the efficiency of the cash cycle.

Cajamar, the Spanish rural savings bank partners with local municipalities to facilitate access to cash for the elderly, without leaving their homes.

During this webinar, our panel combining industry experts and futurists will imagine radical scenarios for the future of cash. The session is the second part of a series of three webinars aimed at using Futures Literacy to imagine the Future of Cash.