Green America’s new ‘Skip the Slip’ report tracks the progress on receipt
practices of 35 major companies. The retailers’ switch reflects growing consumer
demand for digital options and non-toxic, recyclable receipt paper.
Building on the dramatic reduction in paper receipt usage due to the COVID-19
pandemic, CVS — the largest
US pharmacy chain — is working to make that a permanent change. Responding to
pressure from Green America and thousands of consumers, CVS has increased
promotion of its digital receipt option; and replaced the common thermal receipt
paper coated in Bisphenol S (BPS) — an endocrine-disrupting chemical
linked to health — with phenol-free, recyclable paper in its 10,000 stores
across the US.
Since 2017, Green America, the nation’s leading green economy organization, has
urged CVS and other retailers to reduce paper receipt waste and toxicity through
its Skip the
Slip
campaign. Thousands of individuals signed Green America’s petition to CVS and
contacted the company on social media; which resulted in a dialogue between CVS
and Green America to discuss receipt alternatives, reducing the length of
receipts, providing digital opt-in prompts for customers to sign up for digital
receipts; and switching to phenol-free, recyclable paper.
With the increased promotion, CVS says over a million new customers signed up
for its digital receipt option in 2019. The company
reports that
the digital program has saved 49 million yards of receipt paper, which Green
America estimates is more than enough paper to circle the globe.
The new Skip the Slip report tracks
the progress on receipt practices of 35 major retailers, QSR chains and
fast-food chains — including
Target, which has implemented
phenol-free receipt paper and a digital receipt option; and Walmart, which
offers a digital option at checkout but still uses phenol-coated papers.
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The report also discusses changes in thermal paper demand — which had been
steadily increasing each year in the United States, but has declined 10 percent
(from 280,000 metric tons to 252,000) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decline could become permanent, if consumers continue increased shopping
from
home
and declining paper receipts at the register post-COVID.
“CVS’ changes to its receipt practices reflect the growing consumer demand for
digital options and non-toxic, recyclable receipt paper,” said Beth Porter,
Green America’s Climate Campaigns director. “We encourage the company to build
on this progress by identifying the many more opportunities to reduce waste
across its operations.”
Published Oct 20, 2020 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff