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The campaign is being supported by the British Retail Consortium, the British Independent Retailers Association, and the Association of Convenience Stores, who are encouraging their members to sign the pledge.
River Island, Holland & Barrett, and Dunelm have become the first retailers to sign the pledge. By signing the pledge, retailers commit to making paper receipts fully optional in their stores by 2023. Currently, most tills will automatically print a paper receipt, regardless of whether the customer wants or needs one. Beat The Receipt is calling on retailers to turn off automatic printing before 2023, and only print one when requested.
This call follows research conducted by The Carbon Trust, which found that each paper receipt emits 2.5g CO2e on average during its lifetime when landfilled at its end of life. In the UK more than 30 million receipts are printed every day.
In addition, Beat The Receipt found that 51% of UK shoppers now want the option to refuse a paper receipt at the checkout, with 53% saying that retailers should try to reduce the amount of paper they waste on receipts. The survey also discovered that most customers will only require a paper receipt when the value of their shopping exceeds £25.50.
Samantha Lind, campaigner at Beat The Receipt, said: “This is the retail industry’s ‘plastic straw’ moment, we’ve woken up to the damage we’re doing to the environment and it’s time for drastic change. Customers want it, the retail industry can benefit from it, and our planet needs it.
“With legislation and public sentiment changing, and sustainability at the forefront of minds, it’s time for retailers in the UK to unite in support of the Paperless Pledge and help Beat the Receipt.”
Peter Andrews, head of sustainability policy at British Retail Consortium, added: “The BRC supports the objectives of the #BeatTheReceipt campaign and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is another step in the industry’s fight to reach Net Zero by 2040.
“The BRC is eager to work with its membership to address the practicalities of ensuring consumers can continue to exercise their consumer rights to refund and repair without the requirement for paper receipts.”
