Say no to paper receipts for the planet's health and yours

“No thanks, vendor, no receipt.” There’s a reason PCC, a local cooperative in Washington, spends extra to offer receipts that are free of bisphenol A (BPA).

According to Science Daily, thermal paper cash register receipts account for high bisphenol A (BPA) levels in humans. Frederick vom Saal, Curators Professor of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science at MU states, “An endocrine disrupting chemical, BPA has been demonstrated to alter signaling mechanisms involving estrogen and other hormones.”

To avoid contamination, paper receipts should not be handled by customers or cashiers who are stuck tearing them off a machine often just to crumple and toss them. If a receipt prints out automatically, you may wish to ask the vendor to throw it out for you. If you are the cashier, consider wearing work gloves or cleaning your hands frequently, and ask managers if unwanted receipts can be recycled.

Use electronic receipts

If you want a record of your purchase, you may wish to let banks, Square, or other phone and tech companies keep record of your credit or debit card, and consumer data. This is probably safer and a lesser evil than chemical-laden receipts. Even though there have been recent issues with stolen data famously at Target, Bank of America, and dozens of companies; companies like Apple or PayPal are excellent at storing data — and keeping your hands off BPA.

Tell companies to stop printing coupons and rebate offers

Ask companies like Best Buy to stop providing cash back deals that require you to save their receipts and further handle the chemical coated paper by requiring you to fill in data for their marketing. Not only does it put you more in contact with BPA, but you also have to waste a stamp to mail it off on a diesel mail truck or plane sending it back to headquarters or manufacturers.

Any “deal” should be available without detritus coating your hands, stuffing your handbag, and transporting paper around the planet.