Whether you dine at a restaurant or buy something at a store, chances are you will be handed a receipt. It allows people to have a record of their transactions. Therefore, the printing of receipts is a common practice all around the world. Most people throw away receipts after use, which increases paper waste. While many businesses have gradually reduced printing and paper usage by incorporating receipt scanners, the receipt printing issue still affects the ecology. In this blog, we discuss the negative consequences of printing and how automated receipt scanners can help reduce waste.
Ecological Consequences of Printing
The environment provides us with the resources we need to survive on this planet. But human activities such as deforestation, pollution and climate change cause an imbalance in our ecosystem. Mentioned below are some of the ecological consequences of printing.
Paper Production
From receipts and memos to misprints and notices, all types of businesses and organisations make use of paper which ultimately gets discarded. Paper wastage leads to more demand for paper which in turn leads to more paper production. This results in deforestation, which destroys habitats, disturbs ecosystems, and can even cause the extinction of species.
Pollution
In the process of producing paper, harmful gases such as Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide are released, which pollute the air. The paper mills also make use of large amounts of water in the pulping stage. The wastewater from the process might pollute freshwater sources.
Printer Cartridges
The chemicals in the ink, toner, and solvents used in receipt printing can prove harmful to the environment when disposed of properly. Moreover, the non-biodegradable plastic casing is another concern. When thrown in the garbage, these chemicals and heavy metals can pollute soil, water and even landfills and take years to degrade. It is not only dangerous for human life, but animal and plant lives as well.
Energy Consumption
Printing requires paper, ink and energy. Generally, coal and oil are used to generate energy. When receipts are printed, it might lead to the emission of greenhouse gases which can cause climate change.
Thermal Papers
Generally, thermal papers are used in printing a receipt. These papers contain chemicals that make printing easy. However, the chemicals used in making thermal papers can harm the environment. Due to its presence, thermal papers can not even be recycled. Thus it not only produces paper waste but also does nothing to benefit the environment.
How a Receipt Scanner Can Help the Ecosystem by Reducing Waste?
Before addressing the question, let’s know about receipt scanning software? A receipt scanning software uses a combination of Optical Character Recognition and Artificial Intelligence to scan and capture critical information in receipts, bills, invoices and bank statements. Some advanced software, such as Dext Prepare, go beyond capturing- it can also analyse, understand and organise data. Thus, it makes the job of accountants, bookkeepers and businesses efficient, easy, and error-free.
Furthermore, receipt scanners come as an innovative solution to the waste problem created due to printed receipts. Mentioned below are some ways in which a receipt scanner can help:
Reduces Paper Usage
As receipt scanners make electronic receipts and send them to the customers either through email or sms, it eliminates the need for paper and thus reduces paper consumption.
Safe Records
Receipt scanners let customers save the receipts online, which they can access anytime. Therefore, it eliminates the need to hang on to printed receipts and the inconvenience caused if the receipt is lost. It also helps in tracking transactions and expenses in an efficient and organised manner. This not only reduces paper wastage and fear of losing the receipts but also makes record keeping error-free.
Cost Effective
Receipt scanners send receipts online so companies and organisations can save money on paper, ink and other printing costs. New startups and small companies can make a one-time investment in receipt scanning software and reduce their operating costs to a great extent.
Less Energy Consumption
Trees are cut down and churned, and processed to make paper in mills. Then, later when printing is done, and the receipts eventually get discarded, it goes to the recycling bin and sometimes to landfills when they can not be recycled. All these paper-handling procedures require energy. Additionally, some people also make photocopies of receipts which use more paper. However, receipt scanners can copy, fax, mail, distribute, and store documents without consuming much energy.
No Toxins
Unlike printers, fax machines, and copiers, receipt scanners do not require any sort of ink or toner. Thus, it stays free from the chemical and toxins in most ink and toners.
Save Trees
Around 768 million trees to meet the annual paper needs of the entire world. Scanning a document through a receipt scanning software can save five trees.
Conclusion
Organisations can employ paperless alternatives such as a receipt scanner to deal with the impact of receipt printing. Using advanced technology, customers can record and track their transactions online and adopt other sustainable printing practices, such as using recycled paper and paperless point-of-sale systems.