10043171QR Code-enabled Digital Receipt System for Secure and Paperless Financial Transactions (QR-CeRST)ClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKOver the years, due to the existential threats of climate change, deforestation, afforestation, and the need to actively reduce paper usage have figured prominently within circular economy discussions. However, with financial transactions being on the rise all over the world, so is the proliferation of purchase paper receipts -- which serves as proof of purchase for exchange, warranty claims and returns, tax rebates, personal expense tracking etc. Reports suggests that approximately 90 percent of paper receipts end up in the bin because they are mainly inconvenient to store and maintain. Nevertheless, many retailers still auto-print receipts despite customers not wanting them. Globally, it is estimated that 300 billion receipts of paper are produced annually, consuming 25 million trees, 18 billion litres of water and 22 million barrels of oil. In the UK, around 200,000 trees must be felled to produce the 11.2 billion paper till receipts printed each year (ParcelHero, 2021). Because most of these receipts are coated with toxic chemicals (such as bisphenol A and bisphenol S), which have been associated with health risks (e.g., type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer), they are predominantly non-recyclable. As a result, a significant portion of paper till receipts mostly end up as landfills, which when landfilled, emits around 28,000 tonnes of CO2e into the atmosphere per year (CarbonTrust, 2021). At a time when biodiversity is decreasing and climate change is accelerating, paper receipts appears to be a profligate solution. Hence, evidence suggests that digitising receipts represents a significant step in curbing and potentially reversing the devastating effects of climate change. However, three main barriers currently militate against the wide adoption of digital receipts. Firstly, customers are at odds with the sharing of personal data over the counter due to privacy and identity theft concerns. Secondly, although only a handful of retailers send digital receipts in the form of SMS texts and emails, customers report a huge discomfort in searching long lists of message history or email inboxes to find receipts. Thirdly, there are currently no incentives for customers who opt for digital receipts. It is on this premise that this solution aims to develop a first of a kind "QR-Code-Enabled Digital Receipt System for Secure and Paperless Financial Transactions" that eradicates paper receipts environmental impact, minimises the cost of transaction for retail establishments and incentivises customers that opt for digital receipts.