Phasing Out Paper Receipts to Reduce Paper Waste

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has studied the possibility of phasing out the issuance of paper receipts to reduce paper wastage; and (b) if not, whether such a study can be conducted locally.

We have not studied the phasing out of paper receipts and there are no current plans to do so. The Government has introduced measures to increase the usage of electronic platforms for billing and invoicing, which would enhance productivity and reduce paper wastage. It has taken the lead and required electronic invoicing through the Vendors@Gov portal for suppliers transacting with the Government.

We encourage companies to adopt electronic invoicing with InvoiceNow, the nationwide e-invoicing platform that enables the direct transmission of invoices in a structured digital format across finance systems. Companies can also adopt best practices such as asking customers if they require a receipt or providing the option of a digital receipt. For instance, self-checkout counters at some supermarkets give customers the option not to print a receipt while some transport companies and retailers send receipts via email or in an app. We also encourage the public to switch to electronic bills and financial statements to replace hardcopies.