BPA and BPS in your Eftpos Receipt

Plastic free July has rolled around again and while we have shared this information several years ago I thought it topical to share now as a reminder, let’s continue to do our bit to support the environment and our health.

Trash Talking Mama Hayley Crawford draws our attention to a little known hidden plastic and harmful chemicals that you may be coming into contact with every day, and that is…. eftpos receipts.

Did you know that most receipt paper is thermal backed and contains a combination of potentially harmful BPA and BPS chemicals? Rather than using wet ink that could smudge, these chemicals react to heat to reveal the numbers and letters on the paper, but it also makes them un-recyclable because it isn’t possible to separate the different materials. Therefore, they are destined for landfill where unfortunately those chemicals can leach into you and our soil, water, and air.

BPA (Bisphenol A) and BPS (Bisphenol S) are chemicals that belong to a group called bisphenols. They have been used for many years in the production of plastics, including food and beverage containers, water bottles, and the lining of metal cans. However, concerns have been raised about their potential effects on human health and our environment.

Receipts may seem small (even when the price on them isn’t!) but you can only imagine how much they build up in quantity worldwide causing a massive waste problem.

Your best course of action is to refuse receipts wherever you can before they are printed, whether it be at a shop, petrol station, library or ATM. Most systems print them out automatically but some retailers give you the option of having the receipt emailed to you or allow you to track your spending via an app.

Not all receipts are thermal backed but it can be hard to tell them apart. Why not avoid the wasted resource of paper, which in turn, would help reduce deforestation? Asking a vendor what kind of paper they use is a polite way to challenge them to take accountability.

Perhaps this is the pledge you will take for this year’s Plastic Free July or you might want to find other ways to be a part of this global movement that is refusing single use plastics.

Hayley x