BlockBill : The Blockchain-Powered Paperless Billing Solution
The thermal paper market is highly competitive , involving several large firms which control the majority of the market in terms of market share . The presence of numerous reputable paperproducing firms is also said to have further accelerated the expansion of the thermal paper market on a global scale . Businesses involved in the thermal paper market trends are using tactics including new capacity expansions , collaborations and acquisitions , and product launches to bolster their market positions , enhance their current offers , and target a more extensive client base .
From an environmental perspective , the current problems can be divided into three primary subproblems :
According to Grand View Research ’ s analysis [ 6 ], receipts are increasingly being printed on thermal paper domestically and internationally . Furthermore , this study demonstrates that the price of thermal paper is increasing annually due to a shortage of the leuco dye used in thermal paper , a trend that is anticipated to last through 2025 .
Receipts can present health problems because they typically include bisphenol-A ( BPA ) or bisphenol-S ( BPS ), endocrine disruptors used as color-developers to make the text visible are estimated to be coated on 93 per cent of paper receipts . The chemical coating on receipts is absorbed into our bodies through our hands when we touch them [ 12 ]. BPA affects fetal development and is linked to numerous health issues such as thyroid disorders , type 2 diabetes , and reproductive problems .
Businesses have sought out " non-BPA " paper , but it is frequently replaced by BPS , a chemical comparable to BPA and which , according to research , has similar negative consequences [ 13 ]. These receipts are almost impossible to recycle because of those chemicals , which are also present in single-use plastics and contaminate other recycled goods in the recycling process . Studies have shown that attempts to recycle BPA-coated paper contaminate water bodies and leach into waterways , causing an imbalance in the natural aquatic ecosystem and causing reproductive problems for fishes , mammals and birds . Over 120 tons of BPA are reportedly used annually in the UK to produce receipts [ 7 ]. Thus both variants of thermal paper are not healthy options .
If we even take out the additional damage caused by thermal paper , the continual use of traditional paper receipts also causes substantial damage to our environment on its own . Our individual carbon footprints make an impact as they add up , especially in scenarios where practically everyone contributes in some way or the other .
Journal of Innovation 93