The Paper Trail Begins

In the vast landscape of consumerism, paper receipts hold a crucial place in the routine functioning of business transactions. Used across various sectors, such as grocery stores, banking, restaurants, and gas stations, receipts have become an omnipresent component of modern commerce. Receipts, valued for their fast and legible printing, play a crucial role in personal and commercial accounting. Although Canada does not have explicit legislation mandating receipts^{1 2}, it has become a widely adopted practice, effectively making it a de facto standard.

With receipts being produced for every transaction, we have become inundated with a constant stream of paper, contributing to environmental concerns and clutter in our daily lives. Given that Canada processes around 30 million financial transactions daily³, it is difficult to quantify the number of receipts produced. Highlighting the broader context, the global market for receipt paper was estimated at USD 4.16 billion in 2023⁴, demonstrating the vast consumption and environmental footprint of transactions worldwide. Transitioning from the scale of consumption to its environmental implications, the life cycle of receipt paper offers insight into the multifaceted impacts and risks of this ubiquitous product.

This project examines the lifecycle of receipt paper, from resource extraction through to disposal. Concurrently, this project aims to perform an in-depth risk assessment of occupational hazards throughout each phase and analyze the effectiveness of current hazard control measures. The aim of this project is to illuminate the environmental and health implications of receipt paper production and use, guiding more sustainable practices and risk mitigation strategies.