When we recently heard that some receipts can release a lot more BPA than any plastic bottle on the market we had to know more. And while this subject might not be inherently DIY related, it can certainly factor into having a safe and happy home- especially on Earth Day. Plus we’re all about simplifying our lives (it was even my 2010 resolution) so the solution that we reached after reading up on this topic actually contributes to less daily clutter and chaos, which is always a good thing. Who doesn’t want to have a more organized wallet, purse, and home?
Here’s the gist. Science News recently reported that some receipts are made with a technology that leaves them covered in the powdered form of BPA (which can much more easily get onto your hands and be spread around/ingested). This is particularly interesting when you consider that the much less spreadable form (and much smaller quantities) of BPA found in water bottles, old Nalgene containers, tupperware, and even baby bottles are all over the news and have many people reaching for BPA-free options these days. As a point of comparison, plastic bottles can leech “nanogram quantities of BPA” while the average BPA-laden receipt will have “60 to 100 milligrams of it” (yup, that’s way more) – all of which are loose and ready to be spread around (unlike a bottle which usually needs to be heated or aged to release them). Who’s dying to wash their hands? I was when I got about this far into the article.
Although some people are still skeptical about the true dangers of BPA (we’re still trying to wrap our minds around it), it’s been flagged as an “endocrine disruptor” by the Centers for Disease Control, and studies have linked it to breast cancer, obesity, attention deficit disorder and abnormal hormonal and genital development in infants. Even the Food & Drug Administration believes there is “reason for some concern” over the chemical’s effects on fetuses and children and Dr. Robert Lawrence of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has said “I would avoid it- enough research suggests there are risks.” The unfortunate thing about the whole receipt debacle is that the BPA laced receipts don’t look any different than non-BPA ones. Que the womp womp sound effect.
Our BPA approach is pretty much an “it can’t hurt to be better safe than sorry” mindset. We try not to drive ourselves crazy but we’ve done our best to limit our exposure by doing simple things like switching out plastic tupperware for glass containers and drinking filtered tap water from a stainless steel Klean Kanteen instead of a plastic bottle. We even registered for some cute glass Weego bottles for the bean. But the whole receipt revelation really got us thinking. Here we were assuming that BPA wasn’t an issue for us anymore and we were probably touching (and eating it) on a near-daily basis. Plus thinking about how many times we washed our hands before ordering food and then ended up touching the receipt before sitting down to eat had us a bit grossed out. Especially since I’m carrying what we like to refer to as “precious cargo” these days. There’s nothing like the self-induced paranoia of a pregnant lady, I tell ya.
But the good news is that our “answer” to this new knowledge was pretty simple. Whenever possible we now ask the cashier to toss the receipt for us. That way it never ends up in our hands, my purse, John’s wallet, and ultimately our house. After all, I’d estimate that nearly 80% of all the receipts that we’re offered on a daily basis aren’t necessary since we’re purchasing things that we know we’ll never return (food, gas, office supplies, etc). Plus if you usually use receipts as records of your business write offs, it’s nice to note that if you use your credit card for those purchases they’ll show up in your statement (so you might not even need those slips of paper clogging up your files and folders after all).
Sure there are definitely still certain purchases that you may return (you don’t want to end up with a house full of stuff you hate out of fear of touching receipts) but so many stores like Home Depot and Target can now look up any purchases that you’ve made on the credit card that you used… so no receipt is necessary anymore, as long as you don’t pay cash. Really, we haven’t used a receipt to return anything from Target or Home Depot in months- it’s so convenient. Plus by using a credit card (which we pay off in full each month) we earn more points and keep things a lot more organized and itemized for future records than the old wad of paper slips in my purse ever did. And when it comes to the receipts that you just can’t avoid touching, you can at least store them in a closed container (like one of those plastic accordion file things) either in your purse or at home. Then just wash your hands after you handle them- in case they’re of the BPA variety.
Taking it a step further, wouldn’t it be great if “opting out” of a receipt became more of a common practice in the future? Talk about all the paper waste that could be eliminated. Our ATM actually asks if we want a receipt and we always decline. It just makes us happy that we’ve been given the choice to save one little slip of paper from being generated on our behalf (and my purse is a lot cleaner since I started that practice). Plus the fact that our bank already serves up this option makes us hopeful that more stores will adopt it as well (they’d save money too!) and someday receipts in general might just be a thing of the past. Wouldn’t life be so much more organized without all those little white slips of paper? Gotta love something as simple as going sans receipt. Especially when it may even have a positive effect on your health and can painlessly cut down on purse clutter and household waste at the same time.
So what do you guys think? Do you feel like donning plastic gloves and going through your wallet or purse like it’s full of toxic waste? Please don’t! We try not to get too carried away with these things so just remember that hand washing can’t hurt and leaving receipts at the store is a pretty easy fix for the most part. And on the subject of a healthy and happy home, what are you doing these days to keep things simple and safe around your casa? Any babyproofing going on? Any no-VOC paints getting taken for a test ride? Any cookies being put on the highest shelf in the kitchen so you can’t reach them while John’s at work and eat them all (nope, not talking from personal experience here).
Update: The Washington Post later wrote an article on this very subject. Check it out here.
Candace says
Laura,
How about trying a very large pyrex measuring cup/mixing bowl to brew your husband’s sweet tea and when cool enough transfer to glass pitcher for serving.
Meleah says
Great post! I had no idea about the BPA on receipts. I read that a study showed that half of all the name brand baby foods they tested had 16 or more pesticides detected inside the jar. That’s mind blowing! Around our house we eat organic foods, opt for glass or stainless steel, raise chickens, grow some veggies and strawberries, use green cleaners, eat vegetarian, use natural face and body care 90% of the time (from Joppa Minerals in case you want to know). Yep, in Tennessee I’m considered and odd bird. :( It’s great that you put thought into these things. Pat yourself on the back and have a few more cookies. :)
James says
This sounds like a pandemic of epic proportions! How many deaths have been linked to touching receipts so far?
YoungHouseLove says
James, buddy- I think you’re misinterpreting the purpose of this post. It’s just to share the idea that we’ll be cutting down on purse clutter and household waste along with potentially avoiding something nasty on our hands before we eat by washing them after handling receipts- and opting out of them when we can. Balance and moderation are our middle names. Seriously, see below…
xo,
Sherry “Moderation” Petersik
Jessica says
If you don’t mind me asking, how do you both follow a monthly budget without tracking receipts? Credit card statements aren’t mailed until the end of the month, and transactions can take a few days to appear online. Do you write down every purchase? Is there an iphone or droid app that helps with this? If one of you is in charge of the budget, how do you know what the other has spent that day? I would love to eliminate receipts from my life, but I enter them in Quicken every morning (while eating breakfast…ACK! A practice I will now reconsider, although probably my favorite part of the day). Thanks for any suggestions to eliminate BPA from my budget habit :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
Here’s a post all about money management that might shed some light on the subject, but to be even more specific since I work at home and we’re a one car household there is nary a day where I’m out spending without John’s knowledge or he’s out spending without mine (since he’s at work and he packs his own lunch). We also make it a habit to check our credit card statement online fairly frequently (which is always updated within a day or two) to see where we are- but we’re usually extremely good about mentally noting if we’ve spent more than we meant to at Home Depot or the grocery store and “course correcting” over the next few weeks so our credit card bill is relatively predictable and expected from month to month and we’re never caught off guard. In short: if you go online you can track your spending at almost real-time on a credit card without all those receipts. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Veronica says
Since we’re on the subject of environmental dangers and documentaries – go to http://www.livingdownstream.com – and watch the trailer for a documentary to be released in September. The book that the doc is based on gave me an answer to why I have bladder cancer. I was exposed to carcinogens from the time I was born until I left my hometown by doing what a kid does, breathe, drink water and play in the dirt. The source? An aluminum smelter upstream from where I lived for those important 18 years of development.
Since I have never smoked, lived with a smoker or worked in a toxin environment – doctors have always wondered why I have this type of cancer. SO check it out – great information on pediatric cancers and other conditions caused by environmental carcinogens. Critical information for those of you starting families or with young children. The author also wrote an earlier book – Having Faith – (Faith is her daughter’s name) – an ecologist’s take on raising a child in a world filled with ecological issues. Hope this gives you useful info on the world we live in! V
NikKidd says
I just don’t like receipts in general, so I’ve been trying to avoid them for years, but here are a few things I’ve discovered along the way:
1. Some places simply refuse to not let you take the receipt. I even had one cashier tell me, you have to take it, I can’t throw it away for you. WHAT???
2. I love being able to look up receipts with the credit card for returns (Menards has a little kiosk that does it for you), but, WARNING… a lot of times you still have to have the credit card. That’s great unless you lose your card, it’s stolen, or it expires – since, in a lot of cases, they look it up by the number, not by the account. We ended up getting a much lower refund (at first) on a table saw we bought because my husband’s credit card was lost and we had to get new ones. Fortunately, someone found the credit card and returned it (love honest people) and so we were able to go back, get the receipt, and fight our way to a larger refund!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips NikKidd! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Jill says
Wow! I had no idea. Thanks for posting this!
Hilliary says
Oh no!! It’s crazy the things that can harm us these days- just small things like this..things we don’t even give a second thought!!..I noticed that you said not only has it been found on receipts, but also baby bottles!! Yikes! Do you guys plan on checking into that before Baby P arrives!? If/When you do- let us know!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Hilliary,
No worries, the government is already on the case about the baby bottles. Nearly every brand of bottle is now sold with giant “BPA free” stickers on the front to ensure everyone that they’re 100% safe. And we have even opted for glass bottles (with cute silicone sleeves to keep them from breaking). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
pam says
I love your posts about scientific issues. We need to think about what we do on a daily basis and how it effects our health. We freak out over stuff we don’t need to worry about (using too many chemical laden cleansers instead of natural cleansers) and ignore major threats (BPA and the likes).
Anna says
I’ve got to agree with Laura. As a doctor who does research, I find it very, very odd that this person has not even attempted to publish his findings in a scientific journal. This makes his findings suspect.
The bottom line for me is that plenty of things in this world might hurt you. Most things won’t. Our bodies have very good repair mechanisms and can deal with a lot of terrible insults. We’ll all die of something and you’ll never know if it was your genes, an X-ray, cosmic radiation, your diet or BPA that caused your illness.
I for one try to be prudent but not lose sleep about these issues — I painted my new house with low- (not no-!) VOC paint all this week; I still use plastic food storage containers (but plan to register for glass ones when I get married this fall); I have a Nalgene that I still use occasionally; I only buy organic food when the mood strikes and the price is right. (While I may be a doctor my resident’s salary and student loans make these options out of my budget right now!)
But I don’t smoke, I wear my seatbelt and bike helmet, exercise and try to eat a balanced diet. Those are things I KNOW through peer-reviewed good quality evidence will prevent disease. The data on BPA, in contrast, is iffy. (And yes, I have actually read a lot of the scientific studies on this topic.) I believe BPA could be harmful and I’m working on minimizing my exposure to it, but I’m not washing my hands every time I touch a receipt.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anna,
We absolutely agree that people have a right to choose what works for them! And by no means do we expect everyone to blindly do what we’re doing in the whole receipt department. We’re just sharing a save-paper and reduce-clutter suggestion and encouraging everyone to do what feels right for their family. NO pressure at all- and no scare tactics either. We’re the first to admit that we try not to get crazy about these things and just do what we can to keep things simple and feel good about the choices that we make. To each his own!
xo,
s
Julie M. says
Thank you for sharing the article. I would strongly recommend that you do not ask the cashier to toss the receipt because it will end up in the trash. Please take all receipts and toss in your recyling bin when you get home. I hate to see all that paper not get recycled. Though, I’m with you on always selection the option on ATMs and gas pumps – No Receipt.
YoungHouseLove says
Good point Julie! We actually know of many retailers who have a recycling/paper bin next to the small trash bin right at their register (Target and Walmart follow this practice along with places like Starbucks) so sometimes abandoned receipts will actually get recycled, but if you’re not sure you can always grab it and toss it into your bin at home. Then just wash those hands if you’re worried. Great alternative!
xo,
s
Liz @ BTB says
That is terrifying! Especially the part about abnormal hormonal & genital development in fetuses!
Lauren Unthank says
Question-
I love your ideas for going green and getting rid of the toxins in so many of the everyday we use and touch. My husband and I are about to get a dog and I was curious if you use anything natural with burger (flea repellent, shampoo, etc.). Just curious if you had any ideas or things that have worked for you!
Lauren Unthank
YoungHouseLove says
That’s totally a personal thing, but since Burger has such amazingly short and light fur (and is bald in a lot of places) we actually don’t use any flea or tick medication or repellents (since we would be able to see if he has a problem- and in 3+ years he hasn’t had any). And as for shampoo, we actually use Dr. Bronner’s (watered down) which is a super mild and organic vegetable based soap from Target (so we don’t worry if he licks himself). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lauren @ chezerbey says
I think a major point is, “why do receipts need to contain BPA’s in the first place?” If it makes them more durable or more water resistant, than surely there is another, safer means to this (then again, receipts really don’t need to last that long…one year max I would think). Just like with the water bottle frenzy, if there is enough of a “backlash” then retailers will be quick to switch to something else (or even better, convert to electronic receipts), which moves everything in the right direction. There are certainly lots of unavoidable toxins out there, but if there are products that really don’t need to contain the toxin in the first place, then it’s a good fight to fight to get them out of the system.
anu says
another scary thing about this is that recycled paper (e.g., toilet paper, tissues!) may contain bpa due to people responsibly recycling receipts.
http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/some-unpleasant-sources-of-bpa/
Kristi says
Oh! Now I’m worried, because I’m a cashier, and honestly do you know how many of those I touch a day?! But now I know so I should make a suggestion to my store..
harmony says
I really appreciate it that you share info like this when you find it! Of course everyone gets to make their own decision about what they do with the new info, but I definitely love the “heads-up” so I can choose read more about this. Thank you, thank you :-)
Also! I am the director of an early childhood center and wanted to point you in the direction of http://www.zerotothree.org. I’m sure you guys are reading all sorts of great books about child-rearing and maybe have found this website already, but if not check it out! It’s the best practice, most up-to-date, research-based information about raising a very young child for parents and professionals alike. Enjoy and congrats once again :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the link! Off to check it out…
xo,
s
Liz says
How does a person find out which receipts have BPA or not? Is there a way? This definitely has given me lots to think about, as I am a receipt collector. I like receipts to make sure I don’t get accidently overcharged.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
If you click the link in the second paragraph you can read more of the article, but it sounds like there’s no way to tell by sight which receipts have it and which ones don’t. You might be able to find out what sort of technology a store uses to see if it involves BPA (although it sounds like a lot of the cashiers who handle them have no idea). Either way, just washing your hands after touching them might be the solution. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nick Klaus says
I’m one of the people who tries to get a receipt everytime so that I can better track my spending. Hearing about this makes me want to wear a classy set of gloves anytime I go out. No BPA on my hands, and the perk of looking stylish.
Erin says
Confession- I can’t even read this blog entry– too wordy and not enough pictures. I think the world of blogging has made me resort to my kindergarten picture-book days! :)
Michelle H says
I have to disagree with your idea of using credit cards and paying off the balance every month! There are studies done on how using a credit card has an emotional effect on the spender and they are more likely to spend more vs. using cash. I understand that the purpose of the entry is to avoid BPA, but I don’t think using a credit card is a good enough reason :).
trish says
thanks for the heads up–I had no idea BPA was used in all those receipts. I’m fairly certain that most of the receipts I get are of this type (heat-activated inks) so now I guess I’ll be washing my hands even more frequently.
Caitlin says
Hmmm… you know, after reading this I was thinking, “How easy would that be for me to avoid in my daily life!” and THEN I remember, oh wait I waitress on the weekends and have my hands all over the receipts. Whoops.
If you pay with a credit card, it’s actually three times more receipts than if you pay with cash — because you have to sign something, and we have to give you a copy and keep one. Then, if you leave a tip, I have to print out another one with the tip amount on it so I can trade it in at the register.
I’ll just have to be even more OCD about washing my hands at work. :P
Joyful T says
FYI, if you do keep your receipts you can deduct all the sales tax off of your taxes. It doesn’t sound that helpful, but my in-laws did it for this past year and the result was shocking. We’re trying to do it this year, but I’m gonna make sure the hand sanitizer in my purse is full. Just a thought.
Sheila Beck says
I know this is kinda late… but when you think about eating out. How many receipts has your waiter touched and then touched your food or the lemon in your water. yuck….
Kim W says
Having previously worked for a bank, I know you sometimes run into trouble without a receipt. For example, if you make an ATM deposit, but it never credits to your account, without a receipt, there is sometimes little the bank can do to adjust your account. Just a thought.
Katherine says
I have a few things to say here.
First, I think your perspective of whether you need a receipt for a return is skewed. I think it’s totally antiquated, but many many stores require a receipt for a full credit return, and have other restrictive return policies that are silly. I agree that we really should do away with receipts and log all sales either in the store or with your credit card.
As for using a credit card and paying it off every month that’s a no-brainer for me. It is a mentality you must get used to so you don’t overspend, but as long as you know that bill is coming and you don’t give yourself any leeway for not paying it in full, you can really benefit from those rewards. I’m flying to Ireland for next to nothing!
Finally, someone commented that they’ll keep their sanitizer on them; does that really work for removing BPA? I would think that it’s a chemical, not a bacteria, so do those alcohol based sanitizers do anything but move the chemical around on your hands?
YoungHouseLove says
As we said in the post we absolutely agree that you should keep any and all receipts you’d need for returns! We just don’t keep the ones from Target and Home Depot since they’re not necessary for returns. And we also don’t need to keep receipts for things we definitely won’t return (like lunch or gas for example!). Just do what works for you!
And about the hand sanitizer comment, we’re unsure if it’ll work to ward off BPA, but we do know that hand washing should do the trick. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alyssa says
There’s a great book out there called The Green Book. And one of the facts in it is about how many trees can be saved from even just ONE person declining their bank receipts. I only get receipts for things like gas/large purchases that are helpful to keep track of or for reimbursal. And really-who doesn’t want a cleaner purse?!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! We’ll have to check out that book!
xo,
s
Carshena says
I loved this post on BPA. I had no idea that receipts could be that unhealthy. Another unhealthy thing that we use everyday is microwaves. Check out my post on it at http://downsizingwithadreaminmind.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-new-microwave-for-us.html
Megan says
Kroger is taking BPA out of receipts – hopefully others do teh same – http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/05/11/kroger-joins-effort-to-block-use-of-bpas.html?sid=101
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so great!
xo,
s
Kathryn says
Oh, I know you posted this eons ago, but I am totally freaked out by pthalates and parabens and BPA. I am realizing that my lotions and shampoos are probably disrupting my estrogen. I’ve been looking for an easy list to keep in my purse so I can remember all the chemical names I need to watch out for. What do you do to keep it all straight, and how far have you gone to simplify?
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post that hopefully helps: https://www.younghouselove.com/2012/05/the-simple-life-2/
xo
s