China's Shenzhen Development Bank has launched two sets of biodegradable credit cards, which are said to be able to break down to water and carbon dioxide. The bank said one of the green-themed sets comes with paperless statements only, another way to protect the environment.

It's unclear what specific material(s) the cards are made of. But the bank started issuing the first set of four "Beauty Cards" in November, targeting environmentally conscious female consumers.

The second set of four "Green Cards" made a debut in Beijing this week. These cards use electronic statements exclusively, the bank said on its Web site. Users can choose to receive an email newsletter on environmental protection from the bank. They also have the option to redeem membership points for "green products."

According to a report from the Xinhua News Agency, China had issued 170 million credit cards by the end of 2008.

By using the images on the bank's Web site, I compiled this low-resolution photo, just to give you an idea how the collection of "Green Cards" looks. (Yes, these are vertical cards.)