Recycling key to building a better future

Recycling is on the front line of building a better future for people and our planet, and March 18 marks the annual Global Recycling Day, a day to focus on the circular economy, celebrate #RecyclingHeroes, and help protect our natural resources.

Conserving resources is one of the pillars of sustainable golf and clubs, tournaments and organizations across the industry are embracing the opportunities, thinking of products often thrown away not as waste but as resources to be given a new life.

Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources. It is recognised among the UN Sustainable Development Goals for responsible consumption and production.  Each year the ‘Seventh Resource’ (recyclables) saves over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions and this is projected to increase to 1 billion tons by 2030, based on a study conducted by the Bureau of International Recycling. 1.6 million people are employed in processing recyclables.

Clubs around the world are looking at innovative ideas to reuse and recycle, with initiatives ranging from a starting point of comprehensive waste separation and recycling streams through to turning what might have once been waste into something completely new. Here is a selection of examples available among hundreds on Sustainable Golf Highlights.

• Branches are knitted into tee markers and signs at The Desert Golf Course in China.
• Insect hotels and bird boxes are made from recycled pallets at Thornbury Golf Centre in England and Minthis Hills in Cyprus.
• Fertiliser shuttles have been converted into herb gardens for the restaurant at Royal Adelaide, Australia.
• Hirsala’s greenkeeping machinery uses fuel made from 100% waste.
• At Golf Della Montecchia, Italy, adopting the 3 ‘R’s approach of reduce, reuse and recycle has helped produce a range of items from recycled materials including all furniture in the superintendent's office

Recycled golf equipment can be a great source for finding a bargain. The Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club has set up an online second-hand shop for its members, not only contributing to the club's efforts to become more environmentally friendly but also lowering the barriers of entry to the sport by allowing members to purchase the equipment at lower prices, thus promoting a more inclusive sport.

And there is a whole new industry with organizations creating products from recycled materials including our innovation partners Galvin Green, with this Insula and Upcycle ranges, or OCEANTEE which continues to use recycled ocean waste across its product range, including the innovative Pacific Cap collection each of which is made from three recycled plastic bottles.

Waste and recycling are often major challenges for tournaments and many are rising to the challenge and seizing new opportunities.

The WM Phoenix Open has long been a leader in this field with zero waste to landfill and 63.5% recycled. Months of planning go into achieving this, starting with all vendors contractually committing to the reuse, donate, recycle, or composting of all materials brought on-site. An impressive 84% of 2022 signage was stored for reuse the following year.

The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational launched a mesh-to-tees project, producing 20,000 golf tees made from plastic mesh fencing recycled from the 2019 tournament. The innovative partnership is an example of how the LPGA’s first GEO Certified® tournament continues to build on its commitment to promoting sustainability in sports and promote a circular economy.

In Scotland’s Summer of Golf last year, approximately 20 tonnes of materials were donated to local community projects across the six professional events in Scotland, ranging from wood and screws to carpets and curtains.

The move towards a circular economy is gathering pace but needs more action. Check out the Sustainable Golf Highlights for more inspirational ideas and think about the role you can play.