Until now, all banknotes in the UK were made from cotton fibre and linen rag. This meant they could damage easily or even fade five pound notes in particular, which lasted on average for just one year. In 2016, a new range of smaller, plastic banknotes are due to enter circulation. These are produced from a thin, transparent and flexible film made of polypropylene, which offers a number of advantages: They are resistant to dirt and moisture, so stay cleaner for longer than paper banknotes; They are also more secure than paper banknotes; they can incorporate advanced security features, making them more difficult to counterfeit, including a portion of the film left clear to form a 'window' in the design. They last at least 2.5 times longer than traditional paper banknotes, so will take longer to become 'tatty', improving the quality of banknotes in circulation and they can even survive being put into a washing machine by accident, for example. In addition, they are more environmentally friendly and, because they last longer are, over time, cheaper than paper banknotes. Being thin and flexible, they fit into wallets and purses as easily as paper banknotes.
