WM's zero-waste approach to golf's raucous Phoenix Open catching on in the sports world

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Phoenix Open's famously booze-soaked 16th hole is one of the unique spectacles in golf, where the normally gentile sport lets loose with stadium-style seating, deafening music and an enthusiastic announcer introducing players in a scene that's more WWE than PGA Tour. It's safe to say that being environmentally conscience isn't the first thing on fans' minds. After all, there's usually a lot of waste when thousands of people are getting a little wasted. But the tournament — which has been sponsored by Waste Management for the past 16 years — is an unlikely incubator for ideas on how to make major sporting events easier on Mother Nature. It's been certified as a zero-waste event by UL Solutions for the past 12 years. "It's very much our lab," said Lee Spivak, who is director of WM's Advisory Services team. "We'll try an idea, try an approach to a customer. Then we'll scale it up here and take it to other customers." WM's success at making the Phoenix Open a zero-waste event has turned the company into a hot commodity in the sports world. Spivak said WM now has a partnership with the PGA Tour, Major League Baseball and roughly 15 ballparks, giving practical advice on how to reduce trash, even if certain locations aren't completely ready to go zero-waste. They also work with various teams in the NFL, NBA and NHL. The idea is if environmentally friendly ideas can work during this week's rowdy atmosphere of TPC Scottsdale, they can work just about anywhere. This is a tournament that draws 200,000 fans to the course on a good day, far more than even an NFL stadium. The zero-waste setup is massive: There are 4,800 recycling and compost bins, 29 large compactors and 30 tanks to collect melting ice for reuse in portable toilets at this week's tournament, and the process is managed by 85 WM full-time employees and 600 temporary workers. WM says that more than 750 tons of recycled materials were collected at last year's event. Even the temporary building materials — things like turf and scaffolding — are reused with 238 tons being donated to local organizations. "Everything has to be brought onto the course and then everything has to be taken off the course," said WM's Ashley Haight, who oversees several golf tournaments. "Where stadiums might make little incremental changes over the years, we get a new shot (at golf courses) every single year." At the Phoenix Open's 16th hole, concessions are served in paper cups and eaten with bamboo forks while the liquor and wine bottles are recycled and turned into reusable glassware through a local vendor. Over the years, some ideas have worked better than others. Doug Janison is the director of special events for M Culinary Concepts and has been working with WM for several years, tailoring his food offerings for the zero-waste strategy. He said the process has come a long way since the days of thick plastic plates and heavy napkins. "It's an evolving process," Janison said. "No lids, no straws, no coffee cup sleeves. It's a temporary event, six days, you've got to rough it." Janison was mostly joking about the "rough it" part. The food is still very good at the event with braised pork ribs and pulled chicken among the offerings at the 16th hole. Some menu ideas have fallen by the wayside because of the zero-waste approach — milkshakes are hard to drink with paper straws — but other items like soft serve ice cream have been a fine replacement. In the end, WM and its partners say the benefits of zero-waste at the Phoenix Open outweigh any of the negatives. Spivak said the hope is the tournament can show sports fans and other businesses that a more environmentally-friendly approach can work and become normal. "When they start to care, the ripple effect of the influence doesn't really end," Spivak said. "It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. That's the pride I feel in this tournament."