Local idea helping people rethink their paper usage

Local idea helping people rethink their paper usage
Kaylah Joelle Baker

For local Docklands resident Shahryar Faraji, witnessing receipt after receipt being casually discarded was enough of a reason to motivate him to finding a better alternative.

Now the founder of fintech startup 1receipt, the RMIT Bachelor of Computer Science graduate is reshaping the importance of receipts being electronically distributed through a system that is both “sustainable and hyper-secure”.

“Globally there are around nine million trees cut down per year, just for issuing paper that goes into a bin,” Mr Faraji said.

As well as saving trees, Mr Faraji deems water wastage from the paper production cycle and the “risks of touching paper”, containing the harmful chemical BPA, as additional factors behind his decision to ditch the paper receipt.

“If just half of Australia used 1receipt it would save more than seven billion litres of water waste from the paper production cycle,” he said.

Unlike eReceipts, shoppers will need to have the free 1receipt app downloaded on their phone when visiting partnered stores. The stores will then have a Pyramid scanner set-up at the checkout where customers can scan an exclusive barcode to access their receipt.

Receipts are then saved and can easily be retrieved when needed.

“The two things of main priority to me were firstly the sustainability aspect and secondly for the shopper to not have to exchange their email or number only to then get spam advertisements,” Mr Faraji said.

The company, which now consists of seven team members, also recently received recognition when it was nominated as a finalist for the Sustainability Award at the 2021 Melbourne Awards.

It left the team more inspired to continue paving the way for its “innovative and eco-friendly substitute for paper receipts”.

“It is a great privilege to be recognised by the City of Melbourne because we are Melbourne-based. And it shows the contribution we are making towards sustainability,” Mr Faraji said.

Now an available option at a number of Melbourne IGA supermarkets, the company has expanded to New South Wales and Queensland. 1receipt hopes for Western Australia and other “big chain stores” to come onboard during the next coming months •

For more information visit: 1receipt.io

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