Waste Management Phoenix Open receives GEO certified tournament status

The 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament recently has attained GEO certified tournament status from the GEO Foundation (GEO), North Berwick, Scotland.

To become a GEO certified tournament the Waste Management Phoenix Open says it followed principles set out in the newly released Voluntary Sustainable Golf Tournament Standard and achieved high marks in six categories: planning, site protection, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy. Sustainability highlights from the tournament include:

• 100 percent landfill diversion through recycling, composting, donation, reuse and waste-to-energy;
• 63.3 million gallons of water restored to the Colorado River Basin and Verde River through the Waste Management Phoenix Open Water Campaign with Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Portland, Oregon;
• 720 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent purchased to cover more than double the emissions from tournament operations, player travel and volunteer travel;
• zero waste stations used to engage attendees through educating and encouraging involvement in sustainability;
• an annual Waste Management Phoenix Open sustainability report with detailed metrics and program explanations;
• a venue environmental management plan and commitment to become a fully GEO certified golf facility;
  • protection of ecologically sensitive areas and minimized impact of temporary structures and heavy machinery through a site protection plan;
• more than $10.1 million raised and awarded to local charities through The Thunderbirds and $100,000 donated to environmental organizations from Green Out Day; and
• local youth engagement and free admission for local police, firefighters, active and retired military personnel.

Sustainability efforts of the tournament have been validated through third-party verification, including the Council for Responsible Sport, Eugene,  Oregon; UL and GEO.

To achieve GEO certification, the venue and organizers must complete a custom built program for golf tournaments that includes: document and evidence submission, a third-party verification carried out by the Council for Responsible Sport, a thorough review by GEO and agreement to a range of Continual Improvement Points.

“The achievement is another proud milestone for our organization and reinforces the Waste Management Phoenix Open as the ‘Greenest Show on Grass,’” Paula Davey, director of sales and marketing at Waste Management, says. “Waste Management not only wants to stand out as a leading environmental services provider, but we hope to change how golf tournaments and communities view sustainability everywhere.”

“There is absolutely no doubt that the Waste Management Phoenix Open deserves this accolade,” Jonathan Smith, executive director of GEO Foundation, says. “If you look at the breadth and depth of what they have done to date, and the social and environmental targets they have set for the future, they are clearly leading in the practical delivery of sustainability in and through golf, as well as inspiring so many others, in golf, in business and in the community.

While there are other tournaments on the PGA TOUR, European Tour and Majors such as The Open stepping strongly into sustainability, it is fair to say the Waste Management Phoenix Open has pushed some boundaries of how sports events can engage fans on environmental issues, and they are raising the bar for where other tournaments aspirations could be set.”