Thermal paper, like that commonly used for fiscal receipts, reacts to heat and can cause problems in the recycling phases.
That’s why it normally should NOT be placed in paper bins.
- The components that react to heat, especially in the “dryer” phase within the production process of paper mills cause a strong darkening. To recognize them, it would be enough to heat them (without burning them…) or pass a nail over them: if they blacken, they are thermal papers. Most of the receipts are of this type.
There are then other chemical papers like the old carbon paper and those currently loaded with capsules containing inks, which have a behavior similar to thermal paper and can hardly be considered recyclable. In this case, it is the pressure that releases the component.
However, there are several types of paper used for receipts and it cannot be generalized. Other papers for receipts that can indeed be recycled:
- normal paper: invoices, receipts or receipts printed with a normal printer obviously go in the paper collection.
- new generation thermal paper: developed with a new technology without the use of chemical reaction components. It is recognized because it first of all reports the wording “recyclable with paper” and then it is usually blue/gray in color and is resistant to atmospheric agents (sunlight, humidity).