Thermal paper: is it recyclable?

Because Thermal Receipt Paper may contain BPA and phenol chemicals, customers often ask if it can be recycled. The answer, in most cases, is yes.

Recycle SymbolRecent changes in the chemical composition of Thermal Receipt Paper have made the material more environmentally-friendly and safer to handle.

The paper can be recycled in the "mixed office paper" category of local recycling streams if your town offers that. It doesn't need any special handling for waste disposal unless otherwise noted by local ordinances. You should, however, not use it within the general recycling stream or in home/community composting.

That being said, there are forms of Thermal Paper that shouldn’t be recycled, so we recommend that you check with your town or local recycler first to see if the material is accepted.