Paper Receipts may be the next thing Banned in New York City

City lawmakers are considering a ban on paper receipts coated with the chemical BPA and a requirement that retailers offer emailed receipts instead of paper ones.   Most cash register receipts are coated with bisphenol A, known as BPA, or the related chemical BPS.

The City Council announced last week that it will hold hearings on a package of bills aimed at cracking down on paper receipts.

“It’s definitely a concern,” said Katherine Reeves, a University of Massachusetts epidemiologist who has researched BPA’s correlation with breast cancer in animals. She said other research suggests it may be associated with autism, obesity and hormone-linked cancers.

The City Council will consider bills in the next few months to restrict the use of BPA-coated paper, to require stores to offer e-receipts, to require that receipts be printed on recyclable paper and to require businesses to recycle receipts.