BPA-Free Thermal Paper: The Pros and Cons of It

Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a synthetic chemical used for many industrial purposes. Ever since its discovery by a Russian chemist in 1891, BPA began to gain some popularity due to its ability to serve as a vital compound for most materials that are still widely used up to this day. Some notable examples include plastic bottles, sports equipment, water pipe linings, beverage cans, and of course, thermal papers that are usually used for sales receipts.

However, the application of BPA on various products started raising concerns regarding the chemical’s health risk issues over the past decades. Recent studies showed that traces of BPA could permeate almost anything it could contact. Too much exposure to BPA can adversely affect the body, specifically the brain and hormone production.

Luckily, some companies that manufacture products with BPA have found ways to limit or even eliminate the use of such potentially harmful chemicals. For instance, thermal paper mills started to undergo some modifications so they wouldn’t need any BPA to serve their purpose. These developments eventually bore positive results with the emergence of BPA-free thermal paper rolls.

This article will discuss the benefits and possible disadvantages of using BPA-free thermal papers in different business applications.

The Pros:

It limits all the possible health risks – In a study published by Springer-Verlag, anyone who constantly handles BPA receipt paper is prone to be exposed to an estimated 71 micrograms of BPA, 42 times less than the tolerable daily intake. These findings can be reassuring, but most people still tend to be more vigilant when they hear something about a certain chemical. So, using BPA-free thermal paper can lessen your worries, not only for your employees but also for your loyal customers. Letting them know you care for their safety is a true mark of a successful businessman.

It’s environment-friendly – Once put into waste, BPA products will start to bring some negative tolls to everyone within the area, especially if that area is close to the vicinity of wildlife. Animals can also suffer the same effects of BPA, altering their ability to reproduce.

It provides the same image quality – Many people wonder whether the absence of BPA affects the quality of prints that the thermal paper produces. While it is true that BPA is excellent for making stable and clear thermal prints, BPA-free thermal papers are still very competitive in terms of overall print quality.

The Corns:

The alternatives for BPA – Several alternative materials can be used to manufacture thermal papers besides BPA: BPS and urea. BPS is the most common substitute for BPA because the latter has characteristics and properties similar to the former. BPA is still more harmful compared to BPS. But even BPS can trigger effects identical to BPA if used prematurely.

It costs you a bit more – Another BPA alternative for thermal papers is urea. This paper roll works best if you want something that is both BPA and BPS-free. It’s an entirely different compound that doesn’t bring the negative effects of the said chemicals but expects that this type of thermal paper is a bit more expensive nowadays.

Conclusion

BPA-free thermal papers can save everyone from health issues associated with BPA. Panda Paper Roll can luckily provide BPA-free thermal paper to the market. If you’re a business owner looking for BPA-free thermal paper rolls that are high in quality and safe to use, please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.