Greener Receipts: Emailing Gains Momentum

Anyone who has been to an Apple store knows that customers have the option of having their receipt emailed to them rather than receiving a paper copy. What a fabulous idea! Now that this practice has been around for several years, it seems odd that most other retailers and businesses haven't caught on as well  . . . or have they?

Just the other day, my sister-in-law (who seems to provide me with much inspiration lately) told me that she was given the choice of having her receipt emailed to her from Nordstrom Rack! She was pleasantly surprised at the option and eagerly said yes. Later that afternoon when she checked her email, she had to stop herself from pressing the print button — a reminder that the primary objective is to go paperless and generate less waste.

Refusing is, after all, the best goal before reducing, reusing and recycling.

Today I was shocked to receive an emailed receipt from my daughter's hip hop dance class — for which I paid in cash. Not quite sure what I should do with this email, I immediately deleted it, but was impressed nonetheless.  

The Rec Center has been emailing receipts for their classes for awhile now, too. I remember getting those in the mail just a few years ago. It's commendable that they've taken active steps to reduce what must have been a significant amount of waste from just one season of offerings, let alone an entire year's worth.

Teachers and schools are using email as their primary mode of communication with parents too. Newsletters, classroom updates and individual student issues are all being dealt with electronically. I can't remember the last time I sent my daughters to school with a note for their teacher. Can you?

When you try to imagine all the trees that have been spared in our district alone, it provides such inspiration to ponder what other small steps could be taken to reduce waste, specifically paper, in our daily lives.

What if banks, gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and more retailers  gave you the option of having your receipts emailed to you?