My Plastic-free Life - Topic: BPA in library date due slips

Beth Terry on BPA in library date due slips

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:32:01 -0800

Good that they are asking first. There is BPA-free thermal paper, but the problem is that the chemical they use in place of BPA might be just as harmful or worse. Better not to take a slip if you don't need one. Saves paper, too.

Eve Stavros on BPA in library date due slips

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:50:39 -0800

What a great question to ask your library!!! I'm going to email mine as well, and I hope they're as receptive as they were to ordering a copy of Beth's book for their shelves .

I don't know of any BPA-free thermal paper, but what I have noticed is that my library has started asking me if I want a due date slip rather than simply printing it out and handing it to me. So, at least they're giving us a choice now. Perhaps you could suggest to yours that they ask before they just unthinkingly hand them out (kinda like straws!).

Jane on BPA in library date due slips

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:44:30 -0700

I noticed that the date due print outs and hold slips from my local library are printed on thermal paper. I sent a letter to them to ask if the thermal paper they use contains BPA. I got an answer back right away and they said they are going to check with the department that orders the paper and get back to me. In my letter, I said to them that I was concerned because of the effect this would have on the health of the librarians who handle these slips all day, as well as the children and adult library patrons who often use the print outs as book marks for their library books, so handle them more than once. As well, I mentioned in my letter that this paper with BPA was showing up in recycled paper products.

I thought I would share in case other library patrons would be inspired to do something similar in their communities.

If someone knows of a commercial source of BPA free paper that I could tell my library about, I would love to hear it. A question that I have is: how do we know if the BPA - free paper that replaces BPA-containing thermal paper is any safer?