"#Bisphenols in our receipts
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Bisphenols, also known as ‘Everywhere Chemicals’, are industrial chemicals often used in receipts and tickets.
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There is increasing evidence that bisphenols are harming the environment and could be impacting human health by disrupting our hormones.
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Following the recent ban of bisphenol-A (BPA) from use on receipts in the EU, some retailers have now phased out all bisphenols from their receipts. However, many others are now switching to alternative bisphenols, like bisphenol-S (BPS), which are of similar concern.
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Legislation enforcing a ban on all bisphenols from use in receipts is now needed to protect both human and environmental health, and to ensure a level playing field for retailers.
What are bisphenols?
Bisphenols are a group of industrial chemicals used in plastics and thermal paper, such as tickets and receipts. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is the most well studied bisphenol and one of the highest produced chemicals, manufactured at a rate of around 2.7 million tonnes each year. Evidence suggest that BPA disrupts endocrine (hormonal) systems in both humans and animal species [1] and is found in the blood and urine of almost every person who has been tested [2]. Whilst some bisphenols have not been studied as closely as BPA, all bisphenols have similar chemical characteristics and are therefore likely to have similarly damaging effects.
Bisphenols can enter our bodies through our skin when touching receipts and tickets. They can also be released into the environment through landfill leachate, paper mill effluent and the breakdown of products containing bisphenols.
What’s the solution?
We need legislation banning the use of all bisphenols receipts.
Fidra have been working with the UK’s major retailers and are delighted to see that many have now committed to removing all bisphenols from receipts, check out our Retailer Tables to see for yourself. But this alone isn’t enough. We want to see all retailers choosing bisphenol-free options. This is where legislation comes in. In order to ensure the protection of both human and environmental health, as well as creating a level playing field amongst retailers, we now need to introduce legislation banning the use of all bisphenols from receipts." Go to: https://www.fidra.org.uk/projects/bisphenols/ for full article.
Let’s hope Brexit doesn’t slow (or even stop), the process here in Britain.