Tips from the experts: What’s the deal with retail receipts?

Did you know that receipts you get from the store may be toxic?

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a harmful chemical found in plastic drinking containers and food can linings but did you also know that it could also be in your receipts.

The Environmental Working Group conducted research and found that forty percent of retail receipts contained bisphenol-A. ¹

According to Harvard-trained Dr. Sara Gottfried, “Bisphenol A is a triple threat, it disrupts the estrogen, androgen, and the thyroid receptor” and “women with the highest level of BPA in their blood have the worst fertility.” ²

Bisphenol-A is the thin plastic coating on receipts. Scientists with the Official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland released a study that showed that BPA in receipts can transfer quickly to the skin. The study concluded that it enters the skin so deeply that it cannot be washed off. ³

While BPA-free receipts are starting to show up in major retailers, ask your local stores if they have BPA-free receipts.

Better yet think twice before getting a receipt. Do you really need a receipt for that cup of coffee or an inexpensive lunch?  It’s a great way to reduce your exposure!