Plastic chip bags have been used for many years and we hope that this is the beginning of a new, more ecologically-friendly world of poker and gaming as we look into the future
888poker has partnered with ECOSEC to use biodegradable poker chip bags at 888poker LIVE events. This marks the first time a top-tier operator has introduced a biodegrade poker chip bag option — allowing players to shun single-use plastics once and for all.
The new biodegradable poker chip bags will be introduced at the upcoming 888poker LIVE Barcelona stop, which takes place in early May in Spain.
“We are proud that 888 will be the first major operator to partner with ECOSEC as part of this extremely progressive initiative,” Shai Tabibian, SVP Head of B2C at 888, said via press release. “We see innovation partnerships like this as a win-win-win for us, event organizers and environment alike, and crucial in our efforts to positively minimize our impact on the environment. Plastic chip bags have been used for many years and we hope that this is the beginning of a new, more ecologically-friendly world of poker and gaming as we look into the future.”
The poker chip bags from ECOSEC are actually biodegradable, tamper-evident bags made from Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). It means players can keep their chips safe and secure whilst also being mindful of the environment. The poker chip bags will roll out to all 888 LIVE stops that pepper the rest of the calendar — and play a key role in 888’s target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
According to the joint 888 and ECOSEC press release, the introduction of these poker chip bags will remove approximately 130 kilograms of plastic from circulation.
“The Poker Against Plastic Pollution campaign came about after I started playing in poker festivals,” Karim Louis, CEO of ECOSEC added via PR. “It became clear to me that chip bags are essential for securing poker chips and in a tournament organizer’s processes, but that my organization could have a global impact in improving environmental awareness across the industry. These new biodegradable bags are a bold invention, enabling players to post about their progress on social media in the usual way while also doing their bit for the environment. We’re very much looking forward to delivering these new bags to 888 for the first time and to continuing to partner with them at future events.”
The Poker Against Plastic Pollution campaign is driven by ECOSEC — and entails working with selected charities to facilitate the planting of trees to help offset the impacts of environmental pollution.
It became clear to me that chip bags are essential for securing poker chips and in a tournament organizer’s processes, but that my organization could have a global impact in improving environmental awareness across the industry.
Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, pokerfuse conducted a series of articles digging into how operators were “Going Green On The Felt”. Interviews were conducted with WSOP US, partypoker, and PokerStars — looking at what each operator is doing to keep its live events as green as possible — such as tackling water waste, cutting carbon emissions, or how lots of small incremental changes can help the bigger picture.
With the pandemic putting live events on pause for pretty much all of 2020 and 2021, it was hard to see in practice how these operators lived up to their claims. However, it is a hugely positive step to see 888poker coming out of the gates with such a strong commitment to tackling the use of single-use plastic at all of its live events moving forward.
Maybe it’s time to revisit this topic and see how every online gambling operator is shaping up when it comes to its environmental impact.
