A train operating company that serves stations across East Lancashire says five tonnes of rubbish could be saved from going into general waste as customers continue to ditch paper tickets and switch to digital alternatives.

Northern says the number of people travelling on smartcards and barcode tickets has how reached 54.8 million – up five million from the past 12 months – which represents 72.6 per cent of its customers.

The orange ‘magstripe’ tickets are non-recyclable because they are made from more than one material, meaning even environmentally conscious customers could only dispose of them in general waste bins.

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The five million tickets equate to five tonnes of rubbish saved from going into general waste.

With the introduction of digital ‘Duo’ tickets earlier this month, all of Northern’s standard tickets are now available in electronic format – meaning the number of old ‘magstripe’ tickets required is significantly reduced.

Northern has welcomed the trend – and its environmental benefits – as the world marks Earth Day today (April 22).

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “We saw a huge surge in demand for digital ticketing post-pandemic as online ordering became ‘the norm’ across the retail and leisure sector.

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“Customer behaviour has certainly changed – people enjoy the flexibility of buying their ticket ‘on the go’ and being able to store it on their mobile phone or tablet.

“The environmental benefit of five million fewer magstripe tickets going to general waste is a huge bonus and something we welcome.”