The Hidden Cost of Paper Receipts: Why Your Business Should Care

Every day, millions of shoppers walk away from stores clutching small paper receipts. These little strips of paper seem harmless enough. But when we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, the truth is shocking. Paper receipts are creating massive problems that most of us never think about – harming both our planet and your business's bottom line.

The Mountain of Paper Receipts We Create

Did you know that in the United States alone, businesses print over 148 billion paper receipts every year? That's enough receipts to circle the Earth more than 375 times if placed end-to-end!

These paper receipts aren't just taking up space, they're actively harming our planet:

• Trees Cut Down: Making all these paper receipts requires cutting down roughly 10 million trees each year
• Water Wasted: The process uses nearly 1 billion gallons of water – enough to fill 1,500 Olympic swimming pools
• Energy Consumed: Producing receipts creates a carbon footprint equal to running 471,000 cars for a year

All of this waste happens just so customers can get a piece of paper they'll likely throw away within minutes.

The Toxic Truth About Receipt Paper

Most people don't realize that standard paper receipts aren't just regular paper. Over 90% of paper receipts are printed on thermal paper, which is coated with harmful chemicals like BPA or BPS. These chemicals help create the printed text without using ink.

Why should you care about these chemicals?

• They can enter your body through your skin when you handle receipts
• They contaminate recycling streams, meaning most receipts can't be recycled
• When thrown away, these chemicals can leak into soil and water supplies

The CDC has found that 93% of Americans have BPA in their bodies, and receipt handling is one major way we're exposed to it.

The Business Cost of Paper Receipts

Beyond the environmental damage, paper receipts are hurting your business too:

• Direct Costs: Businesses spend between $0.015 and $0.05 on every paper receipt printed
• Equipment Maintenance: Thermal printers need regular maintenance and replacement
• Storage Costs: Keeping physical receipts for tax purposes requires space and organization
• Lost Time: Employees spend hours dealing with receipt-related issues

For a medium-sized retailer processing 1,000 transactions daily, receipt costs can add up to over $18,000 per year!

A Better Way: Digital Receipts with PapeX

What if there was a solution that eliminated all these problems while making things easier for both businesses and customers?

That's exactly why we created PapeX, to serve as a digital receipt platform that saves trees, cuts costs, and simplifies record-keeping.

With PapeX, when customers make a purchase:

• Their receipt is instantly delivered to their phone
• No paper is wasted, and no chemicals are used
• The receipt is automatically organized and stored securely
• Businesses save money and time on every transaction

Our digital receipt solution costs just $0.01 per receipt – less than paper receipts – while completely eliminating the environmental impact.

Small Change, Big Impact

By switching from paper to digital receipts, your business can:

• Save money on every transaction
• Show customers you care about the environment
• Streamline your operations
• Make tax time and expense tracking easier

If just half of the businesses in America switched to PapeX digital receipts, we could save:

• 5 million trees each year
• 500 million gallons of water
• Reduce carbon emissions equal to taking 250,000 cars off the road

It's a simple shift that adds up to a meaningful difference—for your business and the planet.

The Smarter Way to Do Receipts

The future of retail is paperless, and businesses that move quickly will lead the way.

PapeX makes the switch to digital receipts seamless and affordable. Our platform works with most popular POS systems and requires zero change to your existing checkout flow.

If you're ready to stop wasting money on paper receipts while helping save the planet, join our waitlist today at papex.app. Be among the first to eliminate paper receipts from your business forever.