Blue Receipts With a Big Impact
Thermal paper with zero chemicals? At Bauzentrum Rendler in Oberkirch, Germany, a blue receipt shows how small actions can have a huge impact.
Screws, tiles, and a couple of 2x4’s move on the belt. One last beep, a quick flick of the hand, and the customer has her receipt. Blue, not white. That has been the standard at the Bauzentrum Rendler home improvement store for years now: It’s Blue4est®, a thermal paper product that uses zero chemicals. It looks like a minor detail at first glance, but it actually reflects a philosophy that runs through the whole company.
Frederic Fies and Sonja Schneider show how a simple checkout receipt is part of a larger philosophy.
Taking Responsibility Wherever Possible
Rendler, a family business that is currently headed by its sixth generation and has deep roots in the area, has a retail area, displays, and wholesale operations. “We attach enormous importance to quality and the advice we give – not to mention sustainability,” says Managing Director Frederic Fies. This is particularly demanding in a line of business with energy-intensive products, complex supply chains, and a lot of packaging. So any small change he can make is important: For his company, this includes an energy-efficient building with wood siding, roof-mounted solar, regional suppliers, and, of course, checkout receipts. “Whenever we have a chance to make something more local or sustainable, we do it right away,” Fies explains.
Compatibility with printers is a huge advantage: You can swap in Blue4est® one-to-one.
Thermal Paper Product Manager at Koehler Paper
Responsibility with every single step – from customer service to warehouse racking.
Sonja Schneider, Thermal Paper Product Manager at Koehler Paper
Why is Blue4est® blue?
The blue color of Blue4est® isn’t a coincidence – or a color in the conventional sense of the word. The paper features tiny air bubbles that refract light in such a way that it looks blue, just like with the sky or with water. When heat hits the paper, these bubbles pop, exposing the black layer underneath. This is how each receipt gets its text – without any chemical color developers.
From Testing to a Daily Solution
The switch to Blue4est® was easy: test, use, done. “It worked smoothly on our printers from the get-go,” Fies recounts, adding that no technical modifications were required. Sonja Schneider, the Thermal Paper Product Manager at Koehler Paper, explains that this ease of integration is vital: “Compatibility with printers is a huge advantage: You can swap in Blue4est® one-to-one.” And today, the blue receipt is an integral part of the company’s day-to-day, with Rendler printing around 600 receipts a day, if not more during peak seasons. That’s the equivalent of about one roll per register each day, a quantity that makes the topic of disposal pretty relevant. “Our old receipts just ended up as tons of general waste,” Fies says. “But these ones get disposed of as wastepaper.”
Physics Instead of Chemistry
This is all possible thanks to the way Blue4est® works. Unlike white thermal paper, Blue4est® doesn’t use any chemical color developers. “Conventional paper uses a chemical reaction,” Schneider explains. “Blue4est® uses a physical one instead: Heat causes tiny bubbles in the paper to burst, revealing the dark layer underneath.” The result: Recyclable thermal paper that can be fed back into the paper stream. In addition, the printed receipts are extremely durable. “While white checkout receipts fade out after ten to twelve years, Blue4est® can remain legible up to 35 years,” Schneider says. This is an important advantage in the building materials sector, where documentation often needs to be retained for very long periods.
Blue4est® receipts are printed at Rendler every day.
Unobtrusively Visible
The blue receipts are eye-catching, but don’t need customers to do anything differently – that’s where their strength lies. The reaction to them is simply business-as-usual. “When no one complains, that’s a good sign,” Fies says. It helps that many are already familiar with the paper from other uses and acceptance levels are high. The actual effect can be seen elsewhere: less garbage, a closed-loop paper stream, and the knowledge of having made an impact yet again.
Our old receipts just ended up as general waste, but these ones get disposed of as wastepaper.
Managing Director at Rendler Bauzentrum GmbH
Frederic Fies, Managing Director at Rendler Bauzentrum GmbH.
Rendler’s philosophy is visible from the moment one sees the home improvement center’s wooden façade.
Receipts as a Regional Platform
Blue4est® is also being put to another good use in Oberkirch: Several companies are sharing the back of the receipt paper as shared ad space, turning checkout receipts into a sort of local network with logos from retail and foodservice businesses. “That’s great advertising, and a way for us to help each other,” Fies says.
Small Change, Clear Impact
For customers, these receipts are mostly just a simple part of their day-to-day. Receipts get crumpled up, stuck in pockets, and often forgotten quickly. For Rendler, however, they represent an overarching philosophy: Acting responsibly is not just limited to large construction projects. It’s reflected in countless small decisions – including in surprisingly unexpected places. “These checkout receipts are a perfect match for us,” Fies says. Quality, responsibility, suitability for daily use – it all goes together for Rendler. Sure, when a customer puts their blue receipt in their bag or pocket, it’s a fleeting moment, but it shows that small things can make a big difference.
