The Overlooked Environmental Harm of an Everyday Expectancy
After shopping at the grocery store or completing a food order, the long white strip of paper, inked with the consumer’s most recent transaction, often finds itself in the trash a couple of days or even hours later. What seemed like such an important document is now perceived as a trivial sheet and disregarded as waste. Ultimately, the environmental cost of the single-use receipt, however, bears an enormous on the atmosphere.
According to a study conducted by Green America, the materials utilized in the manufacturing of paper receipts exceed over 3 million trees and 9 billion gallons of water, releasing a total of 4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Not only does the production process highlight the detrimental effects of receipts on the environment, but the aftermath of the thermal paper embodies additional consequences that threaten the equilibrium of the natural world.
In addition, receipts, printed on thermal paper, contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) or Bisphenol-S (BPS), both of which are chemical compounds and pose as a contaminator of the air, water, and soil. In fact, BPA or BPS coats the surface of at least ninety percent of paper receipts, which not only negatively influences the endocrine health of humans but also targets and hurts the microorganisms of crops and soil.
Yet, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advises against recycling or composting receipts because the BPA or BPS chemicals embedded in the paper may seep into streams, affecting water quality and food safety.
Thus, the repercussions of receipts increasingly serve as an incentive for digitizing receipts, where consumers can access the history of their transactions online. This solution both combats and prevents the ongoing environmental detriment caused by receipts.
As organizations and large business chains transition to e-receipts, their decisions symbolize growing advocacy for environmental health and instill hope in establishing a society that cares about creating a positive transformation of the atmosphere.
Works Cited
“BPA and BPS in Thermal Paper.” Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, www.pca.state.mn.us/business-with-us/bpa-and-bps-in-thermal-paper. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Guest, SAP. “SAP Brandvoice: The Business Case for Eliminating Paper Receipts.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 Dec. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2019/12/16/eliminating-paper-receipts/.
“Skip the Slip’ Report.” Green America, www.greenamerica.org/press-release/skip-slip-report-toxic-paper-receipts-jeopardize-health. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Zaborowska, Magdalena et al. “Bisphenols-A Threat to the Natural Environment.” Materials (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 16,19 6500. 29 Sep. 2023, doi:10.3390/ma16196500.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect nor represent the Earth Chronicles and its editorial board.
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