Shopping without BPA Exposure

Christine Kelly

Hi! I’m Christine Kelly, I am a Public Health major and a new member of the research team for Protect Our Breasts focused on water and beverages.

It’s that time of year again! Malls are a-buzz with people picking out gifts to show their loved ones appreciation during this holiday season.   I find it is hard to keep track of the various receipts that pile up in our wallets, trying constantly to make sure none of them go missing.  Though, in reality, it’s probably best that we don’t hang onto them! Through the research we have done on breast cancer and prevention strategies we have seen there is a connection between exposure to the chemical compound, BPA and its effects on our breasts.  Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a known endocrine disruptor that people come in contact with through daily exposure.

The most prevalent means of human exposure to BPA is through diet (via plastics we use etc.) but another common exposure to BPA that we don’t really think about, is through the handling of receipts.  The thermal receipts that are given out by stores contain BPA.  It is used as a color developer for the dye used in the printing process.  This can account for almost 2% of BPA exposure!

This brings us to the issue of holiday shopping!  Many stores are now providing the option of receiving your receipt via e-mail.  If you have an e-mail address that you would be willing to use as a way to receive your “cyber receipts” it can cut down on your BPA exposure, especially during this season known for heavy shopping.

It is understandable that none of us want to receive any more “junk e-mails” from stores we shop at, but even creating an e-mail address simply for this purpose can be in your best interest.  It keeps your main e-mail addresses free of extra mail and gives you a way to keep your receipts in one place, avoiding that frantic search for that lost slip!

This idea of “cyber receipts” is a great way to reduce exposure to BPA, protecting your breasts, the environment, and your organizational sanity, all at the same time!