France to stop automatic receipt printing

France will stop the automatic printing of receipts from 1 August, as part of its move towards a circular economy, an official announcement read.

Over 30 billion receipts are printed every year in France, many of which end up in waste. A survey even found that over a third of French people throw away a receipt immediately after purchase. The French government now wants to counter this. Moreover, the receipts are said to contain thermal paper with chemical substances. The French government wants to reduce that too.

The abolition of automatic printing, applies to a lot of shops and all supermarkets. However, it does not apply to all payments. For instance, service providers will continue to give receipts as usual and consumers will receive a receipt when purchasing equipment. In addition, a customer can request a receipt from the retailer, which can be sent by e-mail or text message. Retailers must, incidentally, make this known through a display at the till.

In addition to France, Belgium's Wallonia is also preparing for this legislation. In the Flanders region, the environmental benefits are being investigated first.