March 20, 2013

PAPERLESS TICKETING BETTER FOR THE PLANET, EVEN IF YOU PRINT!

In recent years, paperless ticketing for events and concerts has become increasingly popular, but many venues and ticket outlets have protested the shift toward electronic ticketing. One of the primary arguments against paper ticketing is that in many cases, event-goers end up printing their paper tickets anyway, resulting in an equal or greater amount of paper consumption than traditional ticketing.

Recently, the paperless ticketing service WeGotTickets released the findings of a research study that suggests the opposite is actually true. The study looked at the differences between traditional ticketing, completely paperless ticketing and tickets being purchased digitally and then printed by the buyer.

The study found that energy consumption for traditional ticketing was 100 times greater than it was for completely paperless ticketing; however, when a customer printed her own tickets, the energy consumption was only 40 times greater. The differences come not only from the differences in the papers used, but also in the handling and shipping of the tickets.

The findings of this study show that even if you prefer having the convenience of a paper ticket in your hand when you head to a show, you are still doing the planet a favor by purchasing your tickets online and opting for digital delivery.

What are your thoughts on digital ticketing? Tell us in the "Comments" section.