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Long-lasting notes which generate immediate and downstream savings
Polymer substrate is more robust and has a higher tear initiation resistance than paper. It is non-porous therefore it does not absorb water, oils, sweat and most household chemicals. Protective coatings ensure documents are impervious to moisture and resist soiling. This enables them to have an extended note life – polymer notes have been proven to last at least four times longer than paper notes. And while they need to be replaced less frequently generating lower purchase costs, there are major downstream savings in:
- Processing costs
- Withdrawal and destruction of old notes
- Security, transportation and handling costs
- Reductions in issuer currency management costs
Polymer notes have a number of physical properties:
- Exceptional toughness – difficult to initiate tearing of the note.
- Impervious to water and other liquids.
- Unaffected by climatic and environmental conditions including hot, humid conditions and fishing or agricultural environments.
- Non - porous, notes do not soil or go limp thus retaining their structure.
Notes are non-fibrous and have a protective varnish coating. The notes produce minimal note dust during manual and machine processing.
ANNUAL NOTE VOLUME REQUIREMENT
(Millions of Notes)
This is an indication of the significant benefits of the high level of durability of the polymer notes. The main component of the annual note requirement after the initial replacement of the paper notes with polymer notes in year 1 is replacement notes for poor quality notes in circulation. The graphic also includes notes for reserve stocks and an allowance for annual growth of notes in circulation.
TOTAL COST OF NOTES
(US$ Millions)
This graphic shows the total cost of the notes over the 10 year period. It is expressed in a cumulative manner with the total costs of the previous annual periods added to the total for each year. The breakeven point is in the first year and the gap between the paper and polymer points is the total cost savings.
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