Discover's new biodegradable credit card. 

by Brook Wilkinson

Discover has unveiled the first biodegradable credit card available in the U.S., which will begin to break down in landfill conditions and fully degrade within five years. It's also got some great perks for travelers: no foreign transaction fees, automatic car rental insurance, and no annual fee. The one major catch is that Discover cards are only accepted in China, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and parts of Europe. If those countries are among your frequent travel destinations, sign up for a biodegradable Discover card, the most eco-friendly credit card on the market. If not, take the advice of Condé Nast Traveler's Consumer News Editor, Wendy Perrin (our fellow blogger over at the Perrin Post), and opt for a Capital One card, the only other major credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

Further reading:
* Warning to American Express cardholders: Starting Jan 1, 2009, the fee you'll be charged when you buy something in a foreign currency will be 2.7 percent (rather than the 2 percent it's been for years)
* Responsible Traveler: Making a difference