This is the fifth and final part of “Keep the Receipt,” a five-part blog series about the various advantages paper receipts offer to businesses and consumers, and why you should elect to choose to offer – and accept – paper receipts.
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword. It’s more important than ever to do your part to help preserve the environment. While some people’s first impression of receipts may be that they are not environmentally friendly, there are some steps you can take to ensure you are choosing eco-friendly receipts.
Choosing receipts – and a receipt printer supplier – that practice environmentally friendly measures is an easy and important way to do your part while still providing printed receipts that many customers still prefer and business operations require.
Discover The Value of Receipts: Printed and Digital.
Here are three tips to help you choose eco-friendly receipts:

1. Choose BPA-Free Receipt Paper
Studies have shown that 90% of receipts contain the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A). While there is conflicting evidence about whether or not the level of BPA found on a receipt is dangerous to human health, why not skip the worry and choose BPA-free receipt paper?
When you choose the right high quality, BPA-free receipt paper – like Star’s – you can also rest assured that your paper is working efficiently with your printer to extend the life of the print head, provide longer paper lengths for fewer paper changes, and prevent jams and clogs. These paper rolls also support Star’s warranty compliance and are offered in convenient pack sizes.
2. Opt for Recyclable Receipt Paper
Tying into the above point about choosing receipt paper that is free of BPA, it’s also important to choose receipt paper that is recyclable. There are forms of thermal receipt paper that should not be recycled, but guess what. You can recycle BPA-free receipt paper like Star’s!
According to the American Forest & Paper Association, over 68% of paper was recycled in 2018, and the organization hopes to hit 70% in 2020. Why not contribute to that effort by choosing recyclable, eco-friendly receipts?
3. Choose an Environmentally Friendly Supplier
While choosing BPA-free and recyclable receipts is important, it’s just as crucial to choose a receipt printer (and paper) provider that prioritizes the environment.
Some examples of environment friendly initiatives to look for in a receipt paper and printer manufacturer are:
- Paper reduction tactics: Paper usage is a receipt printer’s largest negative burden on the environment. Choose a manufacturer that takes that fact into consideration and designs ways to reduce the severity of receipt paper’s ecological impact while maintaining user comfort and familiarity. Some examples of these tactics include options for reduced top margin, receipt length and width compression, digital receipts, and more.
- Energy efficiency: Although the cost to power a receipt printer is minimal, business owners can still benefit from energy efficient solutions. Be sure to choose an ENERGY STAR-qualified manufacturer. The ENERGY STAR qualification is a highly respected achievement, and in order for a product to obtain the qualification, it must meet strict energy requirements set by the government.
- Sustainable packaging: Every little step helps, so choose a printer manufacturer that uses recyclable packaging and provides electronic manuals.
- Environmentally friendly manufacturing: Look for a supplier that monitors and conforms to international laws and standards, obtains certifications, and investigates new ways to make products safe for people and the environment. Some examples of these environmental initiatives include:
- ISO 14001 Conformity
- RoHS (Restriction of use of Hazardous Substances) Compliance
- WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Compliance
- Yearly Environmental Activity Reporting
- Green Procurement Guide and Survey Issuance, which is distributed to suppliers and enables the manufacturer to mandate and monitor the exclusion of particular materials during manufacturing processes
Star is proud to offer all of these eco-friendly features – and more! Click here to read more about our environmentally friendly practices.