When you hear of BPA, the first things that come to mind are plastic bottles, bags, containers, etc. But in reality, BPA creeps into our day-to-day lives in ways little known to us. It is present everywhere from wet wipes to toiletries and payment receipts. Though it sounds shocking, it’s damn true!
During the last few decades, the use of BPA has begun to generate some worries about the health risks it poses. Excessive BPA exposure can harm the body, particularly the brain and hormone synthesis.
Firstly, let’s get a glimpse of BPA.
What is BPA, exactly?
According to Mayo Clinic, BPA is an abbreviation for bisphenol A, an industrial chemical that has been utilized in the production of some polymers and resins since the 1950s. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins, and various types of consumer items. We knowingly never opt for BPA plastics but it’s these “consumer goods” that we fall prey to, unknowingly.
Thermal paper, one of the products in which BPA is commonly found, is a type of paper that changes color when exposed to heat. It is created by combining unique heat-sensitive chemical ingredients with a paper base. It does not need ink to be used. There are special types of printers, called thermal printers that use these kinds of papers.
BPA free thermal paper – a better alternative
BPA is absorbed instantly into your body. According to research, BPA emerges in your body four hours after exposure. The most common way in which we come in touch with BPA is through BPA receipts. These receipts when coming in contact with our skin, BPA penetrates our bloodstream.
People who handle BPA-laden receipt paper had the greatest amounts of the toxin. That is why you must advocate for BPA-free receipt paper.
With these BPA-free alternatives, we are not bound to use this deadly chemical in our thermal papers. You will go through everything you need to know about BPA-free paper rolls in the upcoming paragraphs. Also, find some benefits and pitfalls of using these BPA-free alternatives.
In this post, we are going to talk about BPA-free Thermal Paper Rolls – why they are better than their BPA counterparts.
Listed below are some of the pros and cons of BPA-free thermal paper rolls.
Advantages OF BPA-FREE THERMAL PAPER ROLLS
Till now, you all might get a clear overview of BPA thermal papers and their effects. Now, let us go through the advantages of BPA-free thermal rolls which are manifold. From tackling health issues to saving the environment, we will go through the benefits one by one.
- Reduce your risk of cancer:
We always dread our moms reminding us of every time we eat something unhealthy that it may cause cancer. But in the case of BPA, you need not eat it to contract cancer. It enters your body in unimaginable ways.
Studies have discovered that BPA may imitate estrogen and other hormones and interact with certain cell receptors to accelerate the development of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. BPA may reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, which is cause for worry for anybody undergoing radiation therapy.
Thus, using BPA-free thermal paper rolls can reduce the cancer problem to a great extent.
- Protect your Brain:
BPA appears to have an impact on brain function. The use of BPA thermal paper may pose a threat to the brain functionality of whoever is handling receipts at the workplace. Not just that, it is harmful to the customers who tend to store receipts in their wallets.
It has also been found that the presence of BPA hinders the elimination of chloride from the central nervous system and also alters the way the brain controls genes. Excess chloride in the brain has been linked to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cognitive impairments. What’s more, it induces learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children.
This is not to state that BPA is the primary cause of these problems. But it does create a conducive environment for their development. Thus, a BPA-free approach to your daily life is important.
- Keep your hormones balanced:
The structure and action of the hormone estrogen are thought to be mimicked by BPA. BPA get attached to estrogen receptors and impact body processes such as growth, cell repair, energy levels, and reproduction due to its estrogen-like structure. Furthermore, BPA may interact with other hormone receptors, such as those found in your thyroid, affecting their function.
Because your body is sensitive to variations in hormone levels, BPA’s capacity to imitate estrogen is thought to affect your health.
So, opting for BPA-free thermal paper can reduce the risk of hormone imbalance and lead you towards a healthy life.
- Resistant to heat:
Beyond its health benefits, BPA-free thermal paper is also heat-resistant just like normal paper. So, it won’t hamper the printing process by smudging the ink. That means, no effect on quality.
- Eco-friendly:
As thermal paper may contain BPA, it pollutes the environment. BPA thermal paper, when thrown away, eventually enters our water bodies. It, therefore, put an impact on aquatic creatures. Thus, switching to BPA-free thermal paper will help mitigate these environmental issues.
Isn’t being able to save planet Earth reason enough to switch to BPA-free paper?
- Recyclable:
Approximately, over 90% of thermal paper contains BPA and its manufacturing process requires more than 12 million trees and 13 billion gallons of water per year. All these sources become useless when we find that thermal paper with BPA can not be recycled. Thus, looking at this making process, it makes sense to choose BPA-free paper because it is recyclable.
- Affordable:
Though this BPA-free alternative may cost you more than its BPA counterpart, it is pretty pocket-friendly considering its various benefits to health and the environment.
- Quality:
One of the pressing concerns people have while switching to BPA is this: Does the material change come at the cost of its quality? The answer is no. Chemicals like BPS and urea can be used as a substitute for BPA.
Hence, BPA-free thermal paper is no lesser in quality than its BPA version. Moreover, these are stronger than the one that has BPA in them.
After pondering over the long list of advantages of using BPA-free thermal papers, let’s shed some light on its negative side as well.
PITFALLS OF BPA-FREE THERMAL PAPER
- It is not fire-resistant:
One of the major reasons why BPA is used in thermal paper is to make it fire-resistant. Its BPA-free counterpart may, however, may catch fire.
- It is not easily accessible:
Awareness about BPA-free products is still lacking among the population. For this reason, BPA-free thermal paper may not always be available to everyone.
Apparently, the benefits of BPA-free thermal paper roll outshine its pitfalls. Therefore, there should not be any second thought before using these rolls in place of BPA thermal rolls.
Is it possible to Identify BPA-Free Thermal Paper Rolls?
The answer is yes, Of course!
Though, thermal paper cannot be recognized solely by its appearance as all thermal paper appears to be the same. However, you can perform a small test in order to identify the one: scratch the printed side of the paper. If it is BPA-laden, it will turn black.
Isn’t easy to find BPA-free thermal paper!
But, how one can test each piece when he buys thermal paper roll in bulk?
To cater to this, there are other ways to make sure that thermal paper roll is BPA-free.
- One of the simplest methods is to speak with your coworkers to find if they are using BPA-free paper or not. If yes, then from where do they buy?
- Another simple method is to google to find makers of BPA-free thermal rollers.
- Find websites of manufacturers, read their product reviews.
I hope this post gave you some clarity on whether BPA-free thermal paper is for you or not. If you are into an environmentally conscious business that makes eco-friendly products, BPA-free thermal paper is your only go-to option. On the other hand, if you’re into a commercial business and care more about your cost-effectiveness, you may opt for the BPA.
Different people have different priorities. But at the end of the day, if we can prioritize the environment just a little more, it’s all the difference we can make.
All in all, using BPA-free thermal paper rolls not only reduces your chance of catching certain diseases but also demonstrates that you care about the environment. When purchasing receipt paper rolls, BPA-free thermal paper should always be your first option. For more information contact us now
