In the readings there were multiple mentions of how wasteful receipts are. I was aware that they accounted for a lot of trash, but to see that paper receipts account for 640,000 tons of paper in the U.S. every year was mind blowing. In another article, it said this accounted for 3 million trees and 9 million gallons of water per year. Although receipts have a rich history, I think this waste is ridiculous. Receipts are often thrown away immediately, providing no use at all but still creating waste. In stores I often go to self checkout and there isn’t an option to not get a receipt (you would have to sign up to receive receipts digitally). I’ve been looking for articles about if there are laws in the United States requiring receipts with every purchase, and their are mixed answers with no credible sources to cite. If they are not required to legally, lowering tons of unnecessary waste should be highly considered.
My personal experience with receipts is kind of interesting. Growing up going to the grocery store with my family, my mom would always take the receipt, hand it to my sister and I, and tell us to put it in the “filing cabinet”. The filing cabinet is code word for the trash can right outside the door of the supermarket. Also, Jason has a weird problem with receipts and he hates the feeling of them, so anytime we have bought anything together, I would automatically grab the receipt, even if it is his purchase. Ever since news of receipts being harmful became well known, Jason has instructed me to no longer fulfill my receipt duty. I don’t know the significance of the harmful chemicals on receipts, but I’ve stopped grabbing receipts that I don’t need. For example, I’ll only get a receipt if I might return an item. Or if I’m at a self checkout that makes me print one out, I’ll pretend I didn’t see it print and just walk out of the store (it feels like a crime to admit).
This site talks about what harmful chemicals are found in thermal receipts. Bisphenol-A (BPA) or bisphenol-S (BPS) is the toxic chemical in question. In the U.S. 86% of thermal receipts contain bisphenols. They can absorb through the skin, affecting you directly. As they are put into the landfill and not recyclable (due to the presence of this chemical) they are suspected to be the source of bisphenol contaminated wastewater and groundwater, which can target a lot of people and animals at once. Bisphenols can be harmful to human and wildlife health, they can be hazardous to the reproductive systems and linked to obesity and attention disorders. Handling these thermal receipts can be the most concerning for pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age, and people of any gender who are still developing. In Washington, bisphenol-containing thermal paper will be prohibited for sale, manufacturing, and distribution, beginning on January 1st, 2026. I think this is a step in the right direction. Washing even started a reimbursement program, for businesses that qualify, to replace the thermal receipt paper. This seems to be intended for smaller businesses, because the reason that thermal receipts exist is due to the cheaper price of manufacturing. This change will affect the small businesses more, but I think this program is the perfect response to that. I love this idea!
