The Bank of England has started circulating the new £5 notes that are said to be more environmentally friendly.
The ‘cleaner, safer and stronger’ banknotes are made from polymer, a thin, flexible plastic material and feature Winston Churchill.
According to the Bank, polymer is resistant to dirt and moisture and lasts around 2.5 times longer than paper currency that have been in circulation for more than 300 years.
A new generation of security features have been introduced, “making it even harder to counterfeit”.
The Bank states: “Polymer notes are also better for the environment. This is because they last longer and so we have to print fewer notes, which means less energy is used in manufacturing and cash transportation. When a polymer note has reached the end of its life it will be recycled into new plastic products.”
Around 440 million new fivers have been printed.
The new polymer £10 note featuring Jane Austen will enter circulation in summer 2017.