……And Why It’s Time to Go Digital
Every time you shop, you’re handed a small slip of paper — a receipt. Most people throw it away within minutes. Seems harmless, right? Unfortunately, these tiny pieces of paper have a massive environmental footprint.
The Environmental Impact of Paper Receipts
In the U.S. alone, over 3 million trees are cut down annually just to produce paper receipts. Globally, that number is estimated to be closer to 10 million trees per year. That’s enough to cover the area of 5,000 football fields in lush forest, lost annually — just to print throwaway receipts.
But that’s just the beginning.
- 4 billion gallons of water are used annually to manufacture paper receipts.
- They generate over 300 million pounds of solid waste each year.
- Thermal paper (used for receipts) is non-recyclable due to chemical coatings.
- Receipts often contain BPA or BPS, chemicals linked to hormone disruption — meaning they’re not only wasteful, but potentially harmful to human health.
- Most of these receipts end up in landfills, where they don’t biodegrade easily and contribute to environmental pollution.
Why Digital Receipts Are the Future
This is where Noumi.digital steps in — a solution for forward-thinking retailers and eco-conscious consumers.
With Noumi’s digital receipt technology, businesses can:
- Cut costs by eliminating thermal paper and printer maintenance.
- Reduce environmental impact, saving trees, water, and emissions.
- Protect staff and customers from handling chemical-coated paper.
- Offer easy, app-based receipt tracking and auditing, improving customer experience and simplifying recordkeeping.
In other words, Noumi isn’t just a digital alternative — it’s a smarter, safer, and more sustainable solution.
What If Big Retailers Switched to Digital Receipts?
Let’s look at the numbers.
Major U.S. retailers like Walmart, Target, and CVS process billions of transactions every year. If the top 10 U.S. retailers alone switched to digital receipts, we could save:
- Over 2 million trees per year
- Billions of gallons of water
- Hundreds of thousands of pounds of landfill waste
That’s just in one country.
If global retail giants made the switch, we could realistically eliminate the need for over 10 million trees annually. That’s a massive step toward climate action — without compromising business operations or customer service.
It’s Time to Rethink Receipts
We live in a digital-first world. It’s time our receipts caught up. Paper receipts are costly — for businesses, for people, and for the planet.
Switching to Noumi.digital’s receipt solution isn’t just a tech upgrade. It’s a commitment to sustainability, safety, and smarter business.
Let’s ditch the paper trail — and build a better one.