Quoted evidence of extended lives of banknotes of between 3 and 5 times is taken from a comparison of only one country, Australia. The comparison is made against a previously very low life banknote using cotton paper with a minimal specification. The life quoted for this paper was around seven months. However if Australia had adopted a paper grade similar to the South American example shown, it is reasonable to assume a change to plastic would at best achieve a doubling of note life, with a commensurate loss of security. The life of a plastic note will not be constant in all countries of the world.
Different cultures lead to difficult handling patterns.
8.2 Economy Mould made cotton banknote paper is a multi-sourced product where equivalent grades can be obtained from over ten paper mills who compete on an international basis. In addition there are a number of countries who take advantage of having the benefit of a state owned banknote paper mill to reduce costs. Competition brings with it the benefit of a world market price which is set at a level that is continuously kept as low as practical. Each supplier is striving to out-perform their competitors and technological and operational improvements are continuously fed through to the customer as a benefit in cost performance. The plastic scenario is very different.