FAQ's

A: BPA is the abbreviation for Bisphenol A. This chemical compound is used in a number of everyday items, including plastics and cash register receipt paper. The coatings on direct thermal paper products contain phenol-based coreactants, either BPA, BPC, BPF, BPM, BPS or diphenyl sulfones, that react with heat to produce the dark image on paper.

BPA is a synthetic hormone that mimics the female hormone oestrogen, binding to the same receptors in the human body (and the bodies of other mammals) as natural female hormones.

BPA acts as an environmental oestrogen and once it is ingested it can disrupt proper hormone functioning, alter genes leading to unwanted changes on the cellular level including effects on the brain, prostate gland and behaviour of infants and children. tests have shown that bisphenol A can promote human breast cancer cell growth, decrease sperm counts in rats, and cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men.

1. Pulp prices are still rising and now exceed 40% in 2017.

2. MAY 2017 – IDEM, the mill producing most of Europe’s carbonless paper goes into liquidation.

3. With IDEM no longer there, the mills producing thermal paper switch around 25% of their capacity over to carbonless causing shortages of thermal

4. JUNE 2017 – All thermal mills announce an allocation based system for paper roll converters cutting the supply chain dramatically.....

5. AUGUST 2017 – Prices inevitably go up by Koehler, Lecta, Mitsubishi, Jujo etc...etc...

6. SEPTEMBER 2017 – The Chinese factory that produces 70% of the worlds “leuco” dye (the component that gives the thermal image it’s black image) is shut down for a minimum of 3 three months due to toxicity, reports of over 70,000 companies having to close temporarily to improve their standards.

7. OCTOBER 2017 – Thermal mills announce yet more shortages and price increases for January 2018 as the prospect of no dye being produced bites hard with some mills down to less than a month’s stock.

8. OCTOBER 2017 – Apvion Paper, the largest producer of thermal paper in the USA files for “Chapter 11” – protected bankruptcy....this causes huge panic in the USA as converters fear the worst and struggle to get allocation from Apvion along with uncertainty as to its future.

9. NOVEMBER 2017 – European thermal mills are inundated with requests from converters in the USA to fulfill the shortfall from Apvion, and can virtually name their price.....once again diverting much need stock in Europe away from converters here.

10. DECEMBER 2017 – Mills still very uncertain as to when the leuco dye situation will be resolved with many now struggling to book stock for 2018 production causing more turmoil and prospect of further allocation cuts in 2018 along with more rises expected, possibly on a monthly basis until this is resolved.

11. March 16 - 2018 - Koehler paper anounce price increase of 12% effective immediately. We have enough supplies to last to 16th April so we hold off the price increase until then.

12. April 16 - 2018 - Price increase in range of 10% comes in to effect April 16th 2018

Please click links below to see the increases from our paper manufacturers.

Koehler Paper

7% Price Increase May 2017

8% Price Increase Sep 2017

7% to 12% Price Increase Jan 2018

12% to 15% Price increase April 1st 2018

Mitsubishi Paper

7% Price Increase June 2017

8% Price Increase Sep 2017

7% to 13% Price Increase Jan 2018

Toxic at even tiny doses

* 1 part per billion is equal to 1 tsp of BPA in an Olympic sized swimming pool

• 5 parts per billion increases breast cancer cells (2.5 teaspoons in an Olympic pool)
• 2 parts per billion decreases birth weight and has been linked to early onset puberty
• .025 parts per billion increases hypospadias and genital birth defects

Studies have shown that exposure to Bisphenol A can increase the risk of

• Birth Defects: ESPECIALLY in little boys…rates of hypospadias have increased (incorrect position of the urethra on the penis) with increased BPA exposure. It’s also been linked to recurrent miscarriage
• Obesity and Overweight - study findslink between bisphenol A (BPA) & Obesity and Overweight (Link) PDF Download
• Heart disease in adults - another US study linked bisphenol A to diabetes and heart disease in adults. (Link)
• Heart disease (females) - BPA can cause heart disease in women, scientists at the University of Cincinnati found. (Link)
• Breast cancer - A Yale School of Medicine study found a possible increase in breast cancer risk among females exposed to BPA and DES (Diethylstilbestrol) in the womb. (Link)
• Ovarian disease in women
• Women's eggs - Californian researchers found that exposure to bisphenol A may affect the quality of a woman's eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization (IVF). (Link)
• Reproductive disorders - there is some concern BPA can cause human reproductive disorders. (Link)
• Brain and hormone development problems in fetuses and young children
• Behavioural problems in children, ADHD - Hyperactivity, Impaired learning, Developmental delay in kids
• Type 2 diabetes - A UK study linked higher levels of urinary BPA to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities. (Link)
• Prostrate cancer
• Liver abnormalities in adults.
• Male impotence - BPA was found in one study to be linked to erectile dysfunction and other male sexual problems. (Link)
• Sex hormones in men - an August 2010 study linked BPA exposure to changes in sex hormones in men. (Link)
• Male Man Boobs
• Brain function, memory, learning - US researchers linked BPA exposure to loss of connections between brain cells in primates, potential problems with memory and learning, as well as depression. (Link)
• Chemotherapy - University of Cincinnati scientists found that Bisphenol A exposure may reduce chemotherapy treatment effectiveness. (Link)
• Asthma - A US study suggested a link between increasing asthma rates and a particular threshold of BPA. (Link)

Breast Cancer UK campaign to Ban BPA

Francais Campagne du Breast Cancer UK pour interdire le BPA

• Yes: All the paper used to make our paper comes from sustainably managed forrests throughout Europe.
• All our Phenol Free paper rolls are 100% recyclable and decompose cleanly. We have also moved to using recycled paper cores on our rolls.  - Normal thermal paper even BPA Free is NOT Recyclable.
• Not only Environmentally Friendly but high quality paper that is PHENOL Free, BPA Free, BPC Free, BPF Free, BPM Free but also BPS Free in fact it is totally Bisphenol Free (NO Bisphenol / NO Phenol) thermal receipt rolls. 
• All our paper rolls are made from Long Life Paper, also suitable for the financial industry.
• Print Guaranteed for 10 Years when stored correctly.

Does BPA Free Rolls thermal paper contain any Bisphenol or Phenol compounds?

Are all BPA Free rolls the same.?

NO.. Most BPA free rolls will contain another Bisphenol compound on them to replace the BPA, Normally this is BPS / BPC / BPF / BPM or another compound containing Bisphenol in some form, all these other compounds are still endocrine disruptor's.

Why is BPA used in receipt paper?

• The coatings on direct thermal products contain phenol-based coreactants, either BPA / BPC / BPF / BPM / BPS or diphenyl sulfones, that react with heat to produce the dark image on paper.

• BPS has been shown to enter the blood stream up to 19 times faster than BPA.

Why does BPA FREE Paper Rolls supply PHENOL Free paper ?

• When we first heard about Bisphenol we became worried and started a year long research on the subject. The more we have learnt about BPA / BPC / BPF / BPM / BPS the more concerned for our own health and that of our customers we decided that we needed to supply the safest Till Rolls, Credit Card Rolls, PDQ Rolls, Thermal paper rolls on the market. So we set up BPA Free Paper Rolls. Eventually with the help of our customers, we hope to move our entire business over to this paper.
• We are committed to offer safe products for our customers. Our paper products are - PHENOL Free - BPA Free - BPC Free - BPF Free - BPM Free - BPS Free - Bisphenol Free - Diphenyl Sulfones Free - Phthalates Free

What should I do next?

• Learn more about the concern over BPA.
• Opt out of the controversy by specifying Phenol Free / BPA / BPC / BPF / BPM / BPS /Bisphenol Free products.
• For More Information about the efects of BPA / BPC / BPF / BPM / BPS / Bisphenol / Phenol check out or Facebook Page

VAT exempt ?

EU - VAT Registered (not including Ireland) . When Registering enter your valid EU VAT No. to avail of exemption.

All VAT numbers will be checked & validated. After registration Contact us and we we validate your account so you can Shop VAT Free.

You can find all our contact details HERE.

Postal Address
BPA Free Paper Rolls
Units  2 / 4 , St Anthonys Business Park
Turnpike Road
Ballymount
Dublin D22 NH90
Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Ph: +353 (0)1 4433964
Mobile: 087 9733425
UK Local PH: +44 (0)20 8144 4475

• 2015 France complete ban on BPA from all paper (till rolls) and plastic food products.
• From 2020 EU directive for a complete ban on BPA from all paper (Thermal Paper Rolls) products. (Unfortunately all other chemical compounds of BPA - BPC, BPF, BPM,BPS will still be legal.)
  
• BPA is a mass-produced industrial chemical used primarily to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. In this case it is sprayed on top of the thermal paper to help it turn Black when printing.
• Canada was the first country to declare BPA TOXIC to human health.
• In Jan 2010, the US FDA announced that recent studies provide reason for concern about the potential adverse health effects of BPA in infants and children, especially for applications with direct food.
• Bans are in place in France, Japan, Canada, and a growing number of US states.
• Congress is considering a federal ban on bisphenol A in all food and beverage containers.

THERMAL PAPER. All image stability guarantees on Thermal apply only if paper is stored and used according to these instructions. If selecting a thermal paper grade for an application where there is risk of contact with harmful materials or paper needs to have good preservability properties, please contact our customer service for assistance on selecting a suitable paper from our range of standard and extra long life grades.

1. Avoid hot and humid environment

• For long-term storage, store thermal paper in the dark at an average ambient temperature of less than 25°C and a relative humidity of less than 65%.
• Thermal paper begins to develop colour at between 60°C to 100°C and reaches applicable density at between 70°C to 120°C. The paper, however, displays similar signs of development under high temperature or high humidity conditions. If the paper is used continuously at temperatures of 40°C or above for more than 24 hours, attention should be paid to the ambient temperature and humidity.

2. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight

• The paper will yellow if exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The printed image also tends to fade in direct sunlight.
• The image tends to fade when left exposed to conventional fluorescent light for prolonged periods of time. Therefore printed paper should be filed soon after printing.

3. Do not use solvent-type adhesives

• Adhesives containing volatile organic solvents such as alcohols, esters, ketones etc. cause color formation.
• Adhesives based on starch, PVA or CMC are harmless and hence recommended.

4. Avoid contact with plasticizers

• PVC film contains plasticizer such as esterphtalate and prolonged contact reduces the image forming ability of the paper and causes printed image to fade as well. When storing the paper, files and cases made of polyolefins or polyesters are recommended.
• Self-adhesive cellophane tapes might contain plasticizer which causes the printed image to fade. Tacking thermal paper with double sided self-adhesive tape, applied to the back side of  thermal paper, is not recommended.
• Wax-type paper might also contain plasticizer and cause the image fading of thermal paper. Do not store these two types of paper in the same file or case.

5. Others

• Avoid direct contact with freshly developed diazo copying paper as it might induce colour forming on the surface of  thermal paper.
• Avoid direct contact with carbon as well as carbonless copying papers as these might reduce print ability or cause the printed image of thermal paper to fade.
• Human body fluids like sweat causes the printed image of thermal paper to fade. Please pay attention to proper paper handling.
• Thermal paper sheets must be stored with their printed surface separate from each other because the printed image might slightly be transferred from one surface to the other.
• Frictional heat induced by scratching or pressure by hard metal objects, finger nails etc. causes images to be developed. Please pay attention to proper paper handling and avoid e.g. transportation of heavy jumbo rolls by rolling them on the floor.