New York, NY – In an effort to reduce paper waste and exposure to harmful chemicals on receipts, the City Council will hold upcoming hearings on bills designed to give customers more choice over receiving receipts and phase out the use of BPA-coated receipt paper. 

The Council will consider four bills that will look at providing consumers with the option of declining a paper receipt in exchange for an e-receipt; providing customers with the option not to print receipts; requiring the recycling receipts; and alternatives to BPA/BPS paper.  

“Nobody needs foot-long receipts. We will work with businesses and consumers to cut out paper receipt waste and protect the planet. Let’s not print receipts when they aren’t wanted, especially when we have technology to issue environmentally-friendly alternatives,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.    

Annually in the United States, the use of receipts consumes over 3 million trees, according to Green America. The majority of paper receipts are coated with BPA or BPS, chemicals that can have adverse effects on the human body. The EU has already prohibited BPA receipts starting in 2020.

“We need to change the ways we dispose of our waste if we wish to become the most environmentally friendly City in the country. We have seen the impacts that climate change has had on our world especially to the underserved, immigrant, and poor communities in our country. My two bills will ensure that we use recyclable material to print recipes and that we dispose of them appropriately to reduce our waste. I will continue working alongside my colleagues and advocates as we explore new ways to decrease our emissions and our ecological footprint,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.

“Buying a candy bar shouldn’t require a four-foot receipt. Yet many retailers burn through unnecessary amounts of paper while exposing millions of New Yorkers to harmful toxins. I look forward to a day when these receipts are tossed out for good. Thanks to Speaker Corey Johnson for tackling this issue and for dedicating the City Council to lead the way on a more sustainable future,” said Costa Constantinides, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection. 

“Paper receipts in this country consume an estimated 10 million trees each year. At a time when we need to reduce waste and our carbon footprint, receipts seem to be getting longer and longer, and most go straight to the shredder or trash can. We have the technology for electronic receipts. We should utilize it as a default across our city, with paper as a secondary option for those who expressly prefer it. I introduced a bill this year to do just that, and I look forward to a hearing to explore how we can reduce the use of paper receipts and continue to shrink our carbon footprint,” said Council Member Deborah Rose.

Proposals:

Int. 290 – Requiring stores and banks to recycle receipts.

Int. 291 – Restricting the use of BPA- or BPS-coated paper and requiring that all receipts and tickets be printed on recyclable material.

Int. 629 – Requiring retail stores to ask consumers before providing paper receipts and requiring that new point-of-sale devices have paperless settings.

Int. 1614 – Requiring retail stores to maintain a point-of-sale device that can issue e-receipts.

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