Far be it from me to tell you not to recycle paper, but I do have one exception for you: thermal receipts. Turns out they are BAD NEWS not only for the planet, but for your health as well. Now, maybe it's not "new news" to you (since, in researching this post, I found this report from 2010) but I personally hadn't realized until recently that those little curled-up, hard-to-read receipts we all get from gas stations, restaurants, convenience stores, and even the public library can potentially cause cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, asthma, endocrine disruption, and a whole host of other very serious health issues. That's because the receipts are coated with BPA (Bisphenol A), a chemical that is used as the developer for the ink. Once you touch it, it can enter the bloodstream. (Yikes!)
Thermal receipts are not healthy for the planet, either. As I found out when I read Garbage Land (you can read more about the book here), if you toss in thermal receipts with your regular paper recycling, they can spoil the whole load. If you end up with them in your purse or wallet, just throw them out (yep, you heard me right)--quickly, touching them as little as possible. Wash thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating, and don't let children handle them because the health risks for them are even greater.
What's the best way to handle the thermal receipt problem? Reject the receipt in the first place. Plenty of places ask you if you'd like the receipt with your purchase. Many stores now ask you if you'd like your receipt emailed to you. Take that option if you need a receipt, and then hit "unsubscribe" once you get the receipt, so you won't be tempted to buy anything else when they start barraging you with sale messages. That's really my recurring message for being your greenest: Buy as little as you can. If you're like most Americans, you probably have much more than enough stuff already.
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© 2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photograph and text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site protected by Creative Commons.
Wait!?!?! WHAT?!?!?! I had no idea. I try not to take them because it seems like a waste, but if I do get them, I always recycle them after letting my kids play with them!!!!! Thank you for this post!
Posted by: Janna | 02/13/2013 at 12:53 PM
I have been reading a lot about this recently. It is so scary! I have seen a suggestion that if you do take the receipt, you should carry an envelope just for them in your purse to keep them from touching other stuff. Environmental Working Group (EWG) did some testing of store receipts and found that not all thermal receipts have BPA, but most seem to: http://www.ewg.org/bpa-in-store-receipts.
Posted by: Amanda | 02/13/2013 at 03:50 PM
Yes...this drives me crazy because I know they get into the paper recycling bin...my gosh...can't they come up with something better?
I have never had a store offer to email me a receipt. We need a national campaign to do with away with the BPA ink. For me, I really do not want my reciepts via email. But wait...maybe it would be easier to keep track of it all. What would be great is if you make a purchase, and the reciept is zapped into your smart phone. I don't have a "smart" phone...but most people do nowadays.
A really great scientific study would be to monitor the health of accountants...who handle receipts all the time.... so do most cashiers.
Interesting topic to start me day with.
Posted by: Mary Anne Enriquez | 02/14/2013 at 04:50 AM
Wow, this was a really interesting post. I had no idea -- thought I was just being diligent about keeping records of my charges.
Posted by: Mary Jane | 02/17/2013 at 02:50 PM
At the grocery store, I am in the habit of tossing the receipt in th grocery bag. I am not doing that again!
I usually end up putting them in a special envelope which I take to work, and then empty the contents in to the Iron Mountain box. I do this with all paper that might have part of a credit card number on it and I have been doing this since my wife broke my paper shredder, but now it is a good thing that happened because I was tossing the shreds of those into recycling.
I hope the people that work at Iron Mountain don't touch much of that paper directly!
This demonstrates a failure of the US FDA. In Canada, BPA is considered a toxic substance.
Meanwhile, BPA is being replaced with BPS, so the claim "BPA Free" can be made, while BPS might actually be worse!
Posted by: Alex C Jones | 02/19/2013 at 07:06 PM
Those whose jobs require them to handle hundreds of these receipts per day are at risk. There could be major litigation. Many of them have to touch both the receipts and the food.
Now that the fight to get BPA out of food and drink containers and baby bottles is just abut won, this might need to be the next BPA/BPS battle. Actually, it should target not one substance, but it should be a ban on BPA AND all chemicals that can be classified as a similar hazard.
There needs to be a reform to the FDA and EPA to make them more vigilant, and with more power to protect the public.
Posted by: Alex C Jones | 02/19/2013 at 07:20 PM
Receipts I need to keep I put in a separate envelope in my wallet. Everything else I refuse or toss immediately. I never let my kids handle them. So sad that recycled paper products have BPA and other crap in them b/c we make these lame paper products.
Posted by: Betsy (Eco-novice) | 04/22/2013 at 07:40 PM
Yep--that separate envelope in the wallet is essential. I feel sorry for all of the cashiers and attendants who are unwittingly handling these things on a daily basis!
Posted by: Joy @ JoyfullyGreen.com | 04/22/2013 at 07:47 PM