In a world where businesses will do anything to save a buck, it seems like getting rid of paper receipts — an often overlooked source of unnecessary waste — would be a top priority.
However, not only do many businesses still print receipts, but some are ridiculously long even for one or two items, as one Redditor recently pointed out.
What's happening?
A user on the r/Anticonsumption subreddit posted a photo of an excessively lengthy receipt from a popular clothing store in Europe.
"Uniqlo's default receipt for 1 clothing item," they said in the caption.
Fellow anticonsumers were quick to point out the waste of resources, from both a business and environmental perspective.
"It doesn't make any sense! For a mid-sized retailer processing 2700 weekly transactions, the cost of issuing receipts is ~$70/day which amounts to more than $25,000/year! That's insane!" one user commented.
Another shed light on the massive amount of resources needed for receipt paper: "Globally, it ranges between 444,600 and 697,775 tons for which 9,000,000 trees are cut down and which produces emissions equivalent to ~1,000,000 vehicles. For something that immediately gets thrown away nine times out of ten."
"It's strange with how digital our world is receipts haven't been phased out almost entirely," another said.
Why does waste from receipt paper matter?
As the Reddit users pointed out, receipt paper not only costs businesses thousands of dollars per year but also damages the planet. While many retailers are moving to digital receipts or at least giving customers the choice to opt out of printed ones, paper receipts are still quite popular.
Aside from the environmental impact of extracting resources used for receipts, they also pollute natural areas even after they've been printed. It's not uncommon to see balled-up receipts scattered along roadways or parking lots, where they can contaminate ecosystems and water sources.
Plus, receipts aren't made of just paper — most of them have a plastic coating that contains bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that assists with the heat-activated printing process. BPA has been linked to numerous health problems in both humans and animals, including reproductive issues, obesity, attention disorders, and even cancer.
Is Uniqlo doing anything about this?
While The Cool Down couldn't find any specific actions the company is taking regarding its paper receipts, Uniqlo is taking steps to be more sustainable overall, according to a 2023 report by their parent organization, Fast Retailing Co. For example, by 2030, it aims to use 50% recycled materials in its clothing and reduce pollution at its stores and offices by 90%.
What's being done about paper receipt waste more broadly?
The French government made a landmark decision to end the non-essential printing of receipts unless a customer asks for one. CVS, which is widely known for its exceptionally long receipts, started offering digital options and made its paper receipts 20% shorter.
You can help reduce the need for paper receipts by choosing digital at checkouts or writing to city leaders and businesses to encourage them to explore sustainable alternatives. You never know what a difference your efforts could make.
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