Washington, D.C. – In testimony before the California State Assembly Committee on Natural Resources the American Forest & Paper Association called for the legislature to reconsider efforts to create unnecessary mandates on businesses and consumers by requiring retailers to use electronic receipts for retail transactions. The full testimony text can be found here.

Terry Webber, AF&PA Executive Director, Packaging
“Paper receipts are made from a renewable resource: trees. The environmental and health risks cited in California State Assembly bill AB 161 ignore fundamental recycling capabilities and are based on misleading and unsubstantiated statements and should not be enshrined in California law. Paper receipts are not only fully recyclable, they are routinely collected throughout California to be recycled, just as magazines, catalogs, mail and office papers. Furthermore, concerns about exposure to paper receipts is unfounded, and ‘health risks’ are only being perpetuated by false claims and scare tactics. The fact is paper receipts remain the preferred choice by both retailers and customers. This mandate unnecessarily burdens businesses financially, exposes both customers and businesses to data breaches and privacy liabilities, and alienates older, disabled and lower-income consumers who rely on paper documentation. AB 161 is legislation in search of a problem that does not exist, and we are hopeful the State Assembly will recognize the value, security and accessibility paper receipts provide Californians in their daily transactions.”