Green Initiatives at U.S. Open a Team Effort

Utilizing the tag line “Our courts may be blue, but we’re thinking green” the U.S. Open is ramping up its sustainability initiatives for the 2009 tournament.

The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to review operations of the tennis center and implement initiatives that will have an impact on reducing the carbon footprint of the 2009 Open. Green efforts are a plus at such a large event – in the two weeks that the Open runs, more than 700,000 attendees will visit the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Of the various green initiatives utilized at this year’s Open, some of the highlights include:

Last year, the U.S. Open recycled over 17,000 tennis ball cans. Photo: Flickr/jpellgen

Recycling

• Recycling receptacles are featured on 100 percent of the grounds, compared to 15 percent in the 2008 pilot program.
• A goal to recycle 18,000 to 20,000 tennis ball cans was implemented. Last year, more than 17,000 were recycled.
• The 60,000 Wilson tennis balls used during the Open will be reused for National Tennis Center (NTC) programming and then donated to other community and youth programs.

Using Post-Consumer Paper

A majority of the paper products used at the Open contain post-consumer waste (PCW) to reduce the tournament’s dependency on virgin materials. Some examples include:

• Tickets printed on paper containing 30 percent PCW
• The 2.4 million napkins in the general concession area contain 90 percent PCW.
• The marketing collateral (100,000 pieces) and the Daily Drawsheets (330,000) were  printed on paper containing 30 percent PCW and by companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
• Compared to using the same amount of paper with 100 percent virgin fiber, by using 52,300 pounds (26 tons) of paper with 10-30 percent post-consumer recycled content, the Open avoided the need for 60 million BTUs of energy and 87,423 gallons of wastewater.

Utilizing Organic Waste & Local Programs

• Utensils, plates, cups, etc. are comprised of bio-based materials.
• A pilot composting program is being utilized in two kitchens.
• Cooking oil will be recovered for use as biodiesel fuel.
• The Open expanded its use of organic produce and meats from local farms.

Additionally, Green-e Certified wind Renewable Energy Certificates were purchased to match the electricity consumption during the Open, and
each day during the two-week event, 125 fans will win a $4.50 MetroCard to encourage the use of mass transit to and from the Center.