Another country is urging to ban paper receipt: Australia needs to take action
Canadian’s health organisations and environment union has been urging the country to stop utilizing thermal paper receipt as it has been coated with bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic and disruptive chemical that causes serious harm to the human body.
During a joint statement on 20th August 2019, Environmental Defence Canada (EDC), Breast Cancer Action Quebec, Mind the Store, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada subjected paper receipt as a highly potential dangerous substance. The chemicals can be transferred through skin obstruction for a long period of time by holding and touching the receipt. BPA might not directly cause illness, but it serves as a drive for the diseases to spread quicker. Sickness links to BPA includes:
- Obesity
- Breast and prostate cancers
- Diabetes
- Infertility in women and men
- Underweight babies
- Heart disease
- Liver function
Canada was the first country to prohibited BPA from baby’s food and drink packaging after the federal government stated it causes negative health effects for babies. Yet, not all food and beverage packaging are BPA-free. Due to the raising of public’s concern, retail chains and companies has reduced the use of BPA is their products and check-out process.
Canadian retail chains response
Loblaws has already begun to seek alternative receipt paper options that do not include harmful substances.
Metro and Walmart agreed on providing colleagues or worker who has high potential to contact with receipt paper with gloves and continue to promote their e-receipt system.
The Canadian EDC advised companies to provide receipt handing training and provide protective gloves while waiting for an advanced strategy plan to be wholly adopted. For customers, the union recommended them to only hold the unprinted receipt side and wash the hands immediately after contact with a thermal paper receipt.
“There’s no reason why shopping at the grocery store should mean families may be exposed to a toxic hazard ” Mind the Store campaign director Mike Schade said in a press release.
What can Australia do?
- Ban paper receipts
- Adopt electronic receipts
Emails receipt, capture receipt, and true digital receipts are several options that businesses can implement in their line of work. Recently 1receipt®, a Melbourn-based start-up developed a novel digital receipt platform that allows businesses to reduce their expenses, attract more customers and protect the environment. Shoppers can use 1receipt® app with no charge.
