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Retailers to ditch paper receipts

Words by Smiley Team

Responding to a demand from UK shoppers who show strong preference for paperless receipts, major retailers are opting for online alternatives. 

River Island, Holland & Barrett and Dunelm are the first retailers to join the #BeatTheReceipt’s Paperless Pledge. The initiative will reduce paper waste and related carbon emissions, following research that found over half of UK shoppers would prefer paperless receipts.

Samantha Lind, campaigner at Beat The Receipt, said: “Paper receipts account for tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions every single year, and most of them end up straight in the bin. This is the retail industry’s ‘plastic straw’ moment, we’ve woken up to the damage we’re doing to the environment and it’s time for drastic change.

“Customers want it, the retail industry can benefit from it, and our planet needs it. With legislation and public sentiment changing, and sustainability at the forefront of minds, it’s time for retailers in the UK to unite in support of the Paperless Pledge and help Beat the Receipt.” 

More than 11.2 billion receipts are printed each year in the UK, equating to 200,000 trees deforested and generating over 28,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

By joining the initiative, retailers will make paper receipts fully optional by 2023. At present the majority of tills automatically print a paper receipt, even if the customer decides they don’t need or want one. 

#BeatTheReceipt is appealing to retailers to end automatic printing before 2023. Instead, those who commit to the pledge will only print one upon the request of a customer. 

This campaign responds directly to findings of The Carbon Trust, which discovered that each paper receipt emits 2.5g in carbon emissions throughout its journey from the till to a landfill site. In the UK over 30 million receipts are printed on a daily basis.

Reiterating the need for paperless receipts, #BeatTheReceipt learnt that 51 per cent of British shoppers would prefer paperless receipts and 52 per cent think retailers should reduce paper wasted on receipts. 



A great responsibility

While the majority of customers show an interest in purchasing more sustainable products, only six per cent of them actually act on this desire. Therefore the onus is on retailers to offer exclusively sustainable options.

Sustainability expert Helena Mansell-Stopher advised: “Companies need to look at the volume of products that they’re creating and eliminate the easiest things first. That's why a lot of businesses are looking at plastics, especially packaging.”

Beat the Receipt is an initiative founded by eco-minded campaigners that encourages corporations to take a small step towards sustainability by ditching automatic paper receipts. 

For more information on Beat the Receipt visit beatthereceipt.com. To sign up to the pledge and pave the way to business within planetary boundaries add your company’s name here.

 

 

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This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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