If you are like me and love a good shopping trip, then you will most likely end up with a load of receipts at the end of the day. I know digital receipts are becoming more popular however, there is just something about them that I don’t like, probably because I’ll be bombarded with a load of marketing emails after I provide my details. Personally, I like to stick to paper receipts. Unfortunately, like many other things in the world, even paper receipts can have their downfalls. Receipts are generally made out of thermal paper, that usually contains a chemical called BPA. There are numerous companies that manufacture BPA-free products, click here. What is BPA? BPA is short for bisphenol A, an industrial chemical which is added to many products including containers, hygiene products and food. It’s used to harden polycarbonate plastics and make epoxy resin. Why is BPA Bad? There’s a reason why companies have started switching to BPA-free products, research has suggested the chemical can be detrimental to our health, it’s an endocrine disrupter which interferes with our body’s natural hormones. It can seep into food or drink from the packaging and pose a range of health threats:
The good news for us paper lovers is that in January 2020, the use of BPA in thermal paper rolls was banned in the UK, which means you have nothing to worry about, and you can use BPA-free paper rolls as freely as you want. (This is your sign to shop till you drop!) However, BPA is still used in a range of products that you might want to look out for. The Research
BPA is very controversial within the packaging industry, there have been discussions on whether countries should ban it entirely due to the potential negative affects it can cause. Some research that has been done on the chemical includes:
This list is a selection of only a few of the studies that have been carried out on BPA. Some studies disagree with BPA being harmful and is not currently banned in the UK in other products due to it being deemed to be safe in small doses. However, there’s enough evidence for us to want to be safe rather than sorry. What Products Contain BPA? There are a lot of products which contain BPA that you probably use in your day-to-day life, these are just some of them:
How Do I Minimise My Exposure to BPA? If you’re worried about BPA, there’s a few things you can do to minimise your exposure to the chemical.
Share Your Thoughts Do you think BPA is bad for our health or is it OK in small doses? Let me know in the comments if you actively try and avoid BPA or if you don’t and why. Resources / Further Reading:
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