Appleton, Wis. - Appleton, the nation's largest manufacturer of thermal paper - the type often used in cash register and credit card receipts, does not use the controversial ingredient, bisphenol A (BPA). This reminder of a readily available, cost-effective and BPA-free alternative comes on the heels of an independent report issued by the Environmental Working Group, which found high levels of BPA in 40 percent of receipts sampled from major U.S. businesses and services.

Appleton dropped BPA from its thermal paper formulation in 2006 out of growing concerns about the safety of the chemical.

"After reviewing toxicology reports and available studies we concluded removing BPA from our thermal products was the responsible thing to do," said Kent Willetts, Appleton's vice president of strategic development. "We are committed to actively managing the safety of all our products."

In Jan. 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that recent studies provide reasons for concern about the potential adverse health effects of BPA in infants and children, especially for applications with direct contact to food. BPA bans are in place in Japan, Canada and a growing number of U.S. states, and Congress is considering a federal ban on BPA in all food and beverage containers.

Today, Appleton representatives participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's partnership program Design for the Environment, which involves multi-stakeholder alternative assessments to help reduce environmental releases of, and subsequent exposure to, BPA. The first assessment focuses on finding safer alternatives to BPA for use as a developer for dyes in thermal paper.