Frequently Asked Questions

You can’t have natural resources without the environment. Think of the environment as the entire library, and natural resources as the specific valuable books within the library. What began as a environment initiative, quickly evolved into an environment, public health and public safety initiative.

Q: What is ECOceipt?
A: ECOceipt is a 100% Canadian owned and developed, bilingual, digital paperless receipts and paperless receipts management smartphone application. ECOceipt eliminates the need for chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts, helping protect the environment, public health and public safety.

Q: Why is ECOceipt important?
A: Every year, over 25 billion paper receipts are printed in Canada (Statistics Canada). 93% of these paper receipts contain Bisphenol A (BPA) or Bisphenol S (BPS), known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This allows for rapid printing of text or images on thermal paper receipts when heat is applied, eliminating the need for printer ink, printer toner, or printer ribbons. ECOceipt Paperless Receipts offers a clean, safe, scalable, digital alternative that removes toxic chemical exposure at the source.

Q: Is ECOceipt live now?
A: ECOceipt has completed Research, Development and Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 through 6 to LIVE Proof of Concept, and remains 100% debt free.

Q: Who created ECOceipt?
A: Jeffrey Foucault and Terry Shannon, former Bell Canada executives, co-invented ECOceipt. Both bring decades of local, national and international R&D, technical and operational leadership.

PAPER RECEIPTS | ENVIRONMENT RISKS

Q: How do chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts harm the environment?
A: Producing 25 billion paper receipts annually in Canada requires 1.25 million trees, 1.5 billion litres of water, and 1.83 million barrels of oil, every year. Additionally, thermal receipt paper is toxic, not recyclable and pollutes landfill and recycling streams.

Q: Can chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts be recycled?
A: No. Chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts are coated with chemicals that make them non-recyclable. Disposing of chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts contaminates the recycling chain and reintroduces toxins into consumer packaging.

Q: What about so-called 'BPA-free' receipts?
A: Most BPA-free receipts use BPS, a similar chemical that is potentially more harmful. Studies show BPS also disrupts hormones and persists in the environment. Bisphenol S (BPS) can be considered a brother of Bisphenol A (BPA). It is a chemical compound structurally similar to BPA and is increasingly being used as a substitute for BPA in various applications, including thermal paper for receipts and other printed materials. 

BPS has been adopted as a replacement for BPA in thermal paper due to concerns over the potential health effects of BPA. Credible studies have shown that BPS also exhibits endocrine-disrupting properties that have harmful effects on human reproductive systems, brain development and immune function, similar to BPA.

PAPER RECEIPTS | PUBLIC HEALTH & PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS

Q: Who is most at risk from chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts exposure?
A: Canadian retail workers who handle hundreds of chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts daily, face the highest toxic chemical exposure through skin absorption. In addition, every day, millions of Canadian consumers receive and touch chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts for shopping purchases, resulting in unsuspecting and unknowing toxic chemical exposure through skin absorption. Young children can also be exposed to toxic chemicals BPA/BPS through hand-to-mouth behaviours after touching chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts.

An estimated 93% of paper receipts are coated in toxic Bisphenol A (BPA) / Bisphenol S (BPS) chemicals, harming Canadian retail employees, Canadian consumers and Canadian citizens of all ages. While exact Canadian cancer cases directly attributable to chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts exposure are difficult to isolate due to multifactorial causes, the sheer scale of chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts printed in Canada — over 25 billion annually — represents a significant cumulative toxic chemical exposure risk. 

Q: How do chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts affect health?
A: Chemicals Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) exposure is linked to breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes, obesity, behavioural issues, and hormone disruption. Toxic exposure occurs via skin contact with chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts.

Q: Is there risk to food safety?
A: Yes. A 2023 McGill University/CBC study confirmed that grocery stickers with thermal labels are toxic and can leach BPS directly into fresh food, including fish, meat, and produce.

GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY CONTEXT

Q: How does Canada compare to the EU on thermal paper regulation?
A: Key Differences:

• Approach: The EU's precautionary principle mandates stricter rules by acting proactively, while Canada's risk-based approach is more reactive, waiting for proof of harm before banning a chemical. 

• Regulation: The EU has implemented a specific weight limit for BPA in thermal paper, whereas Canada has no such federal limit, relying on voluntary corporate action and some employer policies. 

• Chemical Alternatives: Despite voluntary efforts in Canada and stricter EU standards, there is concern that companies are replacing BPA with other chemicals, such as BPS. 

• Risk-Based Approach: Canada's approach focuses on risk assessments to determine a chemical's safety before implementing restrictions. 

• No Federal Ban: Canada lacks a federal ban on BPA in thermal receipt paper, and the government has not banned Bisphenol S (BPS) or other similar chemicals. 

• Voluntary Action: Some Canadian retailers have voluntarily phased out BPA and are testing alternatives, but there is no regulatory mandate for this across the industry. 

• Focus on Specific Chemicals: Canada banned BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles in 2008 but has not extended this to thermal paper. 

ECOceipt Paperless Receipts | BUSINESS & MARKETING BENEFITS

Q: What does it cost Canadian businesses to use ECOceipt?
A: ECOceipt is priced to save Canadian businesses money — not increase costs. During pilot phases, the ECOceipt digital service is just 1¢ per receipt, and only 1.5¢ per receipt at commercial launch — significantly less than the 3¢–7¢ cost of each current, traditional chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts. Even better: the vast majority of modern POS (Point Of Sale) systems already have everything required to use ECOceipt. In most cases, no custom programming or system changes are needed. ECOceipt’s digital technology integrates seamlessly with cloud infrastructure, making setup simple, fast, and low-risk. “If you can print paper receipts, you can ECOceipt Paperless Receipts.”

Q: How do Canadian consumers receive digital paperless receipts through ECOceipt?
A: Canadian consumers receive digital paperless receipts instantly on their smartphone through a secure ECOceipt smartphone application. Step 1: Make a purchase. Step 2: Present your ECOceipt smartphone app at checkout. Step 3: Paperless Receipt appears instantly in the ECOceipt app on your smartphone. Step 4: Track personal spending and environmental contributions on your ECOceipt smartphone app. No more paper receipts. No more toxic chemical exposure. No more toxic chemical absorption, unknowingly and unsuspectingly through the skin. Canadian owned and developed. 100% debt free. A bilingual digital paperless receipts and paperless receipts management smartphone application.

Q: Is personal data required to use ECOceipt?
A: No. ECOceipt is secure privacy-first. No personal information exchange, no personal email addresses and no personal payment details are necessary or shared between businesses and consumers.

Q: Will ECOceipt replace all receipts?
A: ECOceipt is designed to replace the majority of commercial business POS (point-of-sale) toxic thermal paper receipts and supports future expansion into banking, healthcare, and food labeling sectors.

Q: What Canadian sectors does this affect?
A: Canadian retail, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and food service industries are all affected. Chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts are being printed in these sectors daily (25 Billion paper receipts are printed in Canada every year. This equates to 68,493,150 Million paper receipts printed in Canada every day. 93% of these paper receipts are chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts). ECOceipt offers a clean, scalable digital alternative that removes toxic chemical exposure at the source. Paperless receipts on Consumer’s smartphones. No more chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts.

Q: Is ECOceipt Paperless Receipts, Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Copyright? Is ECOceipt Paperless Receipts, Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Trademark?
A: Yes. Yes.

ECOceipt Paperless Receipts | MISSION and VISION

Q: What is ECOceipt's mission?
A: ECOceipt exists to eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals, preserve natural resources, compliment clean energy, reduce Canadian healthcare costs and create clean Canadian jobs. Every chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipt that we digitize is a step towards a healthier, safer, and more sustainable Canada. ECOceipt. Nature. Nurture.

Q: How does ECOceipt give back?
A: ECOceipt Foundation will be launched in year one to support hospitals, medical foundations, food banks and shelters, furthering the mission of Canadians helping Canadians.

Q: Is there a Government of Canada implementation opportunity?
A: Yes. The science is clear. The technology is ready. The cost is low. ECOceipt is a once-in-a-generation, Canadian digital innovation opportunity to solve a national Environment, Public Health and Public Safety situation at the source. ECOceipt sparks Canadian imagination and stirs anticipation for what comes next. Made in Canada. Built for the world.

Q: Is the Government of Canada aware?
A: Since March 22, 2023, ECOceipt Paperless Receipts has had the distinct opportunity to provide environment, public health and public safety updates as well as submit multiple meeting requests to the Government of Canada. ECOceipt Paperless Receipts acknowledges and appreciates the professional assistance of MP London Centre, NRC-IRAP and Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, a team of dedicated and caring, Canadian service Ambassadors.

Effective January 19, 2026, ECOceipt Paperless Receipts is accepting and processing requests from the Government of Canada, Provincial Governments and Territory Governments for the new virtual, ECOceipt Paperless Receipts | Pitch Deck Presentation. Recommended presentation time allocation, including Q&A is 30 minutes. Requests can be submitted via the ECOceipt Paperless Receipts website contact page.

Q: Are Canadians aware of this national Environment, Public Health and Public Safety situation?
A: ECOceipt acknowledges and respects that the Government of Canada is responsible to communicate respective awareness to Canadians and ensure resolution of this national Environment, Public Health and Public Safety situation.

ECOceipt Paperless Receipts.

On your smartphone.

Made in Canada.

Built for the World.

No more chemically treated, toxic thermal paper receipts.