Can You Compost Receipts?
No. Most till receipts are thermal paper, often coated with BPA or BPS, chemicals you don't want in garden soil. Many recycling programs don't take them either, so put them in the trash.
At a glance
| Home compost pile | No |
|---|---|
| Green or brown | Neither (not a green or brown input) |
| Moisture | Dry |
| Prep | None needed |
| Worm bin | No |
| Bokashi | No |
What to do with receipts instead
Go paperless where you can. Receipts labeled 'BPA-free' may use BPS or similar developers instead, so treat them the same way.
Keep thermal receipts from stores, gas pumps, ATMs and parking machines out of compost and put them in the trash. Choose an emailed receipt, or none, where you can. The rare plain-paper receipt composts like office paper.
What goes wrong
Receipts won't smell or attract pests; the concern is the chemical coating ending up in soil where you grow food. If a few slipped in, don't panic, but stop adding them. You can spot thermal paper by scratching it with a fingernail: it leaves a dark mark.
Worm bins and bokashi
Worm bin: Keep receipts out of worm bins.
Bokashi: Receipts don't belong in bokashi.
Balancing the rest of your pile? Check the balance with the compost mix calculator.
From hopcompost.com/can-you-compost/receipts/ · General guidance, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't you compost receipts?
Most are printed on thermal paper coated with bisphenols such as BPA or BPS. Those are best kept out of soil used for growing food.
How do I know if a receipt is thermal paper?
Scratch it with a fingernail or coin. A dark line means a thermal coating. Thermal paper is also usually shinier on the printed side.
Can you recycle receipts?
Many programs ask you not to, since the coating contaminates recycled paper. Check your local rules; otherwise, put them in the trash.