After being officially banned by the European Union from January 2020, Bisphenol A has been quite a hot topic in the sectors where thermal paper is employed (for more information about the BPA ban please refer to our previous article http://www.tecnocarta.com/news/europe-says-bye-to-bpa).

Most paper mills have broadened their product range to include BPA-free options at a slightly higher cost and thermal paper converters have been "spreading the word" among customers to make them aware of the ongoing transition.

BPA-free thermal paper poses quite a number of technical problems in terms of printability, which converters need to solve as quickly as possible – or at least by January 2020. Tecnocarta has been working on the issue since the end of 2018, trying to find the best mix of paper grades and inks in combination with the most effective printing procedures. Thanks to our long experience with BPA-free thermal paper, which we have been using far before the European ban, and the many field tests in collaboration with our partners and customers, we finally managed to create a complete portfolio of high quality, smooth-running BPA-free products.

Starting from July 2019, none of our parking ticket rolls and fanfolds will contain any Bisphenol A.

July 2019 is also when our heavy-grade medical recording charts will be 100% free from Bisphenol A. For lighter grades (55gsm), our medical customers will have to wait until the end of 2019.

As regards the rest of our products, i.e. boarding passes, event tickets, transport tickets and TITO tickets, we started replacing the old standard paper in the early months of 2019 and we will complete the transition by the end of the year. Tests have been conducted in these sectors as well, reporting positive feedback from all customers involved.

Despite all internal technical issues, the price increase and the uncertainty regarding the correct product operation, we truly believe the European ban on BPA will benefit the whole thermal paper industry – including final users – in terms of sustainability and human health.

The world is rapidly moving towards a greener, healthier way of living and doing business, so why shouldn't thermal paper do the same?

Keep calm and carry on!

Sources:

• The European Commission, "Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2235 of 12 December 2016", Official Journal of the European Union, p.2 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R2235)
• Global Web Index, "The Rise of Green Consumerism: What do Brands Need to Know?", 2018 (https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-week/green-consumerism)