Industry bands together to solve Australia’s 10.6 billion paper receipts problem

With Black Friday sales officially kicking off across Australia today, the Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek has taken the opportunity to unveil an industry-led initiative called FutureProof, which is aimed at transforming the way Australians receive and manage receipts following the launch of a new world-first research report.

Commissioned by digital receipt company Slyp and undertaken by the University Technology Sydney (UTS), the Life Journey of an Average Receipt report found Australia prints more than 10.6 billion paper receipts every year.

According to the report, many of these receipts are printed on non-recyclable paper and contain toxic chemicals including Bisphenol A (BPA) and substitutes.

The emissions required to produce those receipts are equivalent to producing the same amount of carbon as more than 20,000 cars on Australian roads or generating enough energy to power 18,500 homes in New South Wales each year.

Slyp CEO Paul Weingarth said FutureProof is an example of how we as a nation can come together to drive positive change aimed at creating a better future.

Slyp CEO Paul Weingarth. Source: Supplied

“It’s amazing to see the industry come together to reimagine the future of how receipts are used in Australia, as this has been our mission since I founded Slyp six years ago,” he said.

“Receipts are a key part of the transaction exchange between a buyer and a seller. However, printing and handling paper does not align with the way we as consumers make purchases. 

“Today, almost 40% of Australians have stopped carrying a physical wallet or card and instead rely on their smart devices to complete payments. 

“By switching to a digital-first mindset, we can create a transaction experience that’s not only more convenient for the customer but also more environmentally friendly for our planet.”   

Weingarth said the environmental and health impacts of non-recyclable thermal paper receipts are clear. 

“However, we recognise paper receipts will still be necessary for some Australians and that’s why a key requirement of FutureProof is to consider how we can approach this transition with inclusivity in mind,” he said. 

“Ultimately, we will look to create a roadmap which phases away from non-recyclable thermal paper receipts by providing digital alternatives as well as recyclable, BPA-free paper receipts that are better for both consumers and the environment.”

“A waste problem right in front of our eyes”

Slyp is now available in 2000 stores nationwide, from small businesses to some of Australia’s biggest retailers including Chemist Warehouse, Mitre 10 and Country Road.

Slyp chief of staff Jude Blankfield told SmartCompany the company sees this as being a transition.

Slyp chief of staff Jude Blankfield. Source: Supplied

“For us, the goal is to reduce that 10.6 billion printed receipts that essentially end up in landfills and encourage retailers and consumers to think digital first when it comes to receipts at the point of sale,” she said.

“Back in 2022, we received a grant from CSIRO to conduct research into the life journey of a receipt because we recognised that it was kind of an unexplored part of the payment or the transaction.”

Blankfield says Slyp then partnered with UTS and got the results back earlier this year. 

“What that means for Australia is that there’s a waste problem right in front of our eyes and there’s an opportunity for us as individuals and also businesses to essentially do something about this over the next five to 10 years,” she says. 

“So off the back of this research, we recognise that in order to reduce those 10.6 billion receipts and increase digital adoption, it needed to be something that was really led by the industry with government support. 

“This is bigger than one brand or one business or even a cohort of consumers making a change. This really requires industry collaboration and a very clear path forward as a collective as to how together we can tackle this challenge.”