Don't Take That Receipt!

About this Project:

Don't Take That Receipt! is a public health and environmental justice group operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Easthampton Media. Our mission is to educate vulnerable populations -- those who work in stores, restaurants, and hospitals - and the general public, about the presence of bisphenol-A (BPA) and other phenols in receipts. We provide businesses and the public with assistance for reducing exposure and creating store-wide changes that benefit the health of workers and customers.

BPA and BPS is used to coat thermal receipt paper and rubs off onto skin with contact. Counterintuitively, using hand sanitizer increases the rate of absorption. BPA (and BPS) can interfere with hormonal regulation and are associated with nearly a dozen health problems; it's most harmful to women, pregnant women, teens, and kids. Our goal is to educate about this widely unknown issue that affects nearly everyone. After creating a humorous video, educational website, and outreach campaign, we are now ready to communicate about the dangers of BPA through personal exchanges and through online social media, and promote behavioral and systemic change to create healthier communities. Our work is based in the low-income community of Holyoke, MA, - as well as the surrounding towns - as our goal is to work with populations that are most likely to have extensive exposure to the toxin BPA (and BPS) while working low-paying retail, food service, and healthcare jobs.