Well being advocates urge for continued work towards eliminating poisonous bisphenols, comparable to BPS or BPA, from receipts by way of safer options
Ann Arbor, MI – In the present day, the Ecology Heart’s Wholesome Stuff Lab launched a brand new report exhibiting virtually 80% of paper receipts from giant retailers in the USA comprise bisphenol S (BPS) – a poisonous variation of bisphenol A (BPA), which was present in only a few receipts. Though BPS is marketed as a safer substitute for BPA, each are endocrine-disrupting chemical compounds linked to well being points together with most cancers.
The Ecology Heart, Inexperienced America, Poisonous-Free Future, and prospects have been advocating for years for retailers to get rid of bisphenol-coated paper receipts by going paperless or utilizing non-toxic paper as a substitute.
For his or her examine, Receipt Deceit: Poisonous Chemical compounds in Receipt Paper, launched at this time, the Ecology Heart examined 374 paper receipts from 144 main retailer chains in 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The samples included main grocers in addition to eating places, large field and malls, drugstores, fuel stations, house enchancment, and comfort shops.
The researchers discovered BPS in practically 80% of receipts examined, down from 84% of receipts examined in 2017. BPA was present in lower than 1% of receipts examined, down from 9% in 2017. The group discovered safer chemical alternate options in 20% of receipts examined, up from 2% of receipts examined in 2017. Within the report, the researchers word the constructive progress towards eradicating harmful receipts whereas emphasizing that this pointless poisonous hazard remains to be frequent and poses a specific hazard to employees who deal with receipts. Well being advocates encourage minimizing the printing of receipts and a transfer towards digital choices as a safer resolution.
“Receipts are a standard publicity route for hormone-disrupting bisphenols which readily soak up by way of the pores and skin. Our research present most retailers use bisphenol-coated receipt paper,” stated Melissa Cooper Sargent, environmental well being advocate on the Ecology Heart of Michigan. “Switching to non-toxic paper is a straightforward shift. We urge retailers to cease handing out chemical-laced paper to their shoppers and placing staff in danger.”
“Quick meals and quick informal restaurant employees typically deal with a whole lot of receipts throughout every shift, which signifies that potential publicity to endocrine disrupting BPS or BPA is fixed,” stated Autumn Weintraub, Quick Meals Marketing campaign Director, Service Workers Worldwide Union Native 32BJ. “Working circumstances imply that staff could have moist or greasy fingers or could regularly use hand sanitizer, all of which might enormously improve their publicity. Retailers have a accountability to maintain their employees secure whereas on the job. That features preserving employees secure from dangerous chemical compounds.”
“Retailers can shield their prospects, their communities, and their staff. Eradicating bisphenols from receipt paper is the 1st step, and we encourage retailers to take the following step of not printing receipts altogether until a buyer asks for one and supply a digital receipt choice to all prospects,” stated Dan Howells, local weather campaigns director at Inexperienced America.
“Nobody ought to have to fret about poisonous exposures from trying out at a retailer,” stated Mike Schade, director of Thoughts the Retailer, a program of Poisonous-Free Future. “For greater than a decade, our research have proven that bisphenols in receipt paper are an issue. This new examine is proof that once we work towards safer alternate options, we will bend the curve down on these toxics in receipts. We encourage retailers to step as much as shield their prospects from this pointless publicity.”
“BPA and BPS are recognized to disrupt our hormones and have been linked to quite a few well being harms, together with most cancers, beginning defects, and different developmental points,” stated Nancy Buermeyer, director of program and coverage, Breast Most cancers Prevention Companions. “Now it’s time to take away these harmful and pointless chemical compounds from thermal receipt paper. This publicity considerations all shoppers; nevertheless, the danger is highest for cashiers, over 70% of whom are ladies. We look ahead to California’s Meeting Invoice 1347, “Skip the Slip,” which requires digital receipts and BPS/BPA-free receipts, turning into legislation.”
Main retailers, together with Finest Purchase, Costco, REI, Goal, TJX Corporations (together with T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods), and Complete Meals Market, have taken motion to get rid of bisphenols in receipts in recent times, based on the Retailer Report Card. Final week, Walgreens introduced they are going to transition to phenol-free receipts at practically 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade shops within the U.S. by the tip of 2023, a transfer that follows its UK Boots shops. In 2020, CVS, the most important U.S. pharmacy chain, made a coverage shift in response to strain from Inexperienced America and 1000’s of its prospects, when it elevated promotion of digital and no-receipt choices and stopped utilizing phenol-coated receipt paper. CVS is a frontrunner on Inexperienced America’s Skip the Slip scorecard.
States are additionally appearing to attenuate poisonous chemical compounds that affect shoppers. Washington has turn out to be the primary state within the nation to suggest a statewide ban on bisphenols in receipts underneath the state’s Safer Merchandise for Washington program, which is anticipated to enter impact January 1, 2025. In California, Skip the Slip laws was not too long ago launched that may require retailers to supply digital receipts and supply phenol-free paper receipts to prospects that request them.
ABOUT THE ECOLOGY CENTER
The Ecology Heart’s Wholesome Stuff Lab researches poisonous chemical compounds present in our on a regular basis environments. Our workforce of scientists conducts analysis and exams client merchandise, air, soil, water, fish, meals, and extra for poisonous chemical compounds. Based in 1970, the Ecology Heart is a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental well being group working on the native, state, and nationwide ranges for clear manufacturing, wholesome communities, environmental justice, and a sustainable future. The Ecology Heart examined over 200 paper receipts for bisphenols in 2018. www.ecocenter.org
ABOUT GREEN AMERICA
Inexperienced America is the nation’s main inexperienced economic system group. Based in 1982, Inexperienced America gives the financial methods, organizing energy and sensible instruments for companies, buyers, and shoppers to unravel at this time’s social and environmental issues. http://www.GreenAmerica.org
ABOUT TOXIC-FREE FUTURE
Poisonous-Free Future is a nationwide chief in environmental well being analysis and advocacy. By way of the facility of science, training, and activism, Poisonous-Free Future drives robust legal guidelines and company accountability that protects the well being of all folks and the planet. www.toxicfreefuture.org
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Thea Hassan, Ecology Heart, (607) 425-8066, [email protected]
Max Karlin, Inexperienced America, (703) 276-3255, or [email protected]
Stephanie Stohler, Poisonous-Free Future, [email protected]
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