Environmental protection measures do not always attract unanimous consent, either because they are expensive or because they cause inconvenience. This has happened again in France with the entry into force, yesterday, of the end of the systematic printing of purchase tickets on paper in shops.
In theory, the generalized non-printing of the receipt is a measure taken for a good cause, to curb the use of paper and thereby preserve forests. It is estimated that 12 billion shopping tickets are printed in France each year, which represents 150,000 tons of paper. The initiative will also be applied very flexibly. The consumer can always demand the paper receipt, which will be issued compulsorily when the document also serves as a guarantee for a product and above a certain amount.
However, twelve consumer associations have opposed the new practice because of the risk it implies for customers in the event of an error in the price or when faced with the need to change a defective product. The big winners from the change are seen to be merchants, who save themselves the expense of paper and have a more effective way of rejecting claims.
Some are even more suspicious. "I have worked in supermarkets and I know what can happen - said Sébastien, a kiosk owner very skeptical of the measure, to this newspaper. Imagine that they are willingly wrong by a few cents on some products, always in favor of trade. People won't notice. And with the volume of business, these cents represent a lot of money in the end". "I very much agree when it comes to protecting the planet, but why do we always have to be the first? Why don't they start in India or China?", added the interlocutor.
As an alternative to the paper ticket, businesses can offer customers who already have a loyalty card or who want to register to have the digital receipt sent to them by email or SMS. There will also be the option to download it using the QR code.
Consumer organizations are critical of the digital receipt because of the archiving of private customer data, such as their purchasing habits. They consider that their privacy is threatened and it gives businesses very valuable information to guide their supply strategy and pricing policy. In general, there is a fear that, without a paper receipt, some customers will lose the feeling of spending, overbuy and then go into debt.
The entry into force of the dematerialization of receipts should have been already in April, but it was delayed twice due to high inflation. The Government estimated that keeping the ticket on paper could help the population better control spending and compare prices to alleviate the rise in the cost of living.
The elimination of the paper ticket was foreseen in the law against waste and by a circular economy that was adopted three years ago. This same law led to subsidies from the State for the repair of household appliances and, since a few weeks ago, aid for the repair of shoes and dresses.
Many French feel environmentalists as long as this does not affect their pocketbook or they are not forced to change their habits abruptly. In the autumn of 2018, one of the most important measures to reduce fuel consumption, which provided for an eco-tax of a few cents for each liter of petrol and diesel, triggered the revolt of the yellow vests, a serious crisis of public order that lasted for long months and put Macron in danger. Finally the ecotax was withdrawn. A similar thing happens with periodic attempts to reduce the maximum speed on motorways (130 km/hour) or on departmental roads (90 km/hour). Proposals in this sense always cause a lot of popular rejection.
