"Would You Like a Receipt With That?"

Receipt paper is widely used every day. In this capitalist society rooted in consumption, how could it not be? However, these paper receipts, while a tangible source of waste and environmental destruction, are also more subtly nefarious in their troublesome toxicity.

Before beginning my week of investigating the realities of receipt waste reduction in daily life, I thought I had it all figured out. Step 1. Refuse a receipt whenever possible. Step 2. Recycle any receipts you do receive.

Simple enough, right?

Well, as it turns out, the majority of receipts are printed on thermal paper, which is coated in a material formulated to change color when exposed to heat. The printing develops from the heat without requiring any ink to be physically applied to the paper. Thermal paper is commonly used in devices such as cash registers and credit card terminals. The material coating these receipts is the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA for short. BPA is a known endocrine disrupter (meaning it disrupts our bodies' hormones) and has been linked to cancer, obesity, type-2 diabetes, reproductive issues, and some neurological disorders.

Individuals working as cashiers or in occupations involving regular receipt handling have been found to have higher levels of BPA in their body fluids than other occupations, according to a report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This is because the BPA used in thermal paper is unbound, meaning it wipes off easily onto hands and whatever else it may come into contact with.

According to a study published by the American Chemical Society, BPA is found in 94% of receipts. Subsequently, recycling these receipts contaminates recycled paper products including napkins, toilet paper, and food packaging with toxic BPA.

Unfortunately, for this reason, receipts should not be recycled or composted.

Receipts printed on regular paper with ink are recyclable, but they’re becoming less and less common as merchants use thermal paper for a quicker, quieter, more affordable, ink-free receipt-printing process.This thermal paper is often quite thin, appears to be smooth and glossy, and discolors easily when scratched with a coin or paperclip. If your receipts fit this description, then handle with care!—or ideally, not at all.

As someone who regularly handles receipts in my field of work, I was appalled to learn that these seemingly benign slips of paper are essentially coated in toxins that can be absorbed directly through the skin.

If you handle receipts regularly, I suggest reading more into safe handling practices recommended by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

And, if you happen to run a business that involves receipts, as many businesses do, consider switching to a digital system or at the very least using phenol-free receipt paper from Appvion Alpha Free and Koehler Paper Group, which use ascorbic acid and Pergafast 201 as substitutes for BPA. These phenol-free receipt paper alternatives are slightly more expensive than their thermal paper counterparts, but increasing market demand is making them more cost competitive. 

As if their impact on human health isn't reason enough to do away with paper receipts, paper receipts also have severe environmental implications. Annually, receipt production in the United States consumes over 10 million trees, 250 million gallons of oil, and 1 billion gallons of water, generating 1.5 billion pounds of waste.

The simple act of choosing not to receive a receipt is undoubtedly the best solution to the issue of wasteful and toxic paper receipts.

In today’s age of near-ubiquitous technology, digital receipt software programs offer a convenient alternative to toxic and wasteful paper receipts. Programs like Square offer convenient, low-cost digital systems and allow customers to have receipts sent to them via email.

As consumers, if you are prompted “Would you like a receipt for that?”—either by a cashier or by a computer—just say no! If you’re using a credit card, your transaction history will be available online. Alternatively, if you need to track your expenses, utilize your phone and jot down the amount spent and merchant information in a note.

Bottom line: beware of receipts! They can’t be recycled, they are toxic, and they are completely unnecessary in today’s digital age. Avoid and go without a receipt whenever you can. Utilize digital receipts whenever possible. If you do end up getting a thermal paper receipt, make sure to dispose of it in the trash and wash your hands after handling it.

Hopefully, you feel more informed and more determined than ever to reduce unnecessary sources of waste in your life. Like me, were you shocked to find out that our receipts are laced with toxins and are not, in fact, recyclable? How do you manage to avoid receipts in your daily life? Or are you a receipt loyalist who always gets a receipt, no matter what? Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below!

Stay tuned next week as I explore alternatives to single-use wrapping paper—just in time for the holiday season!

~Sam