Underscoring Waste Management’s (NYSE: WM) commitment to educating and
engaging the community about sustainability, the company today announced
the launch of its “Greenest Show” promotional campaign in advance of the
2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open (WMPO). The “Greenest Show” campaign
represents all that Waste Management, in partnership with the PGA TOUR
and tournament host The Thunderbirds, is doing to ensure the tournament
known as the “Greatest Show on Grass” is the “Greenest Show on Grass.”
The “Greenest Show” social media campaign will source user-generated
content by encouraging the community, fans, sponsors and followers to
share their daily green practices both on and off the course using the
hashtag #greenestshow across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram leading up
to and during tournament week, January 27 – February 2, 2014.
Additionally, “Greenest Show” messaging will be incorporated into
traditional advertising, marketing and on-course branding and signage
surrounding the 2014 WMPO.
“The Greenest Show campaign provides a new creative outlet for fans to
share their support for sustainability and sports, and allows Waste
Management to engage with them in a more meaningful way,” said David
Aardsma, Waste Management chief sales and marketing officer. “The
campaign and social hub, designed to encourage storytelling and spark
conversations, represents all that Waste Management is doing to
dramatically increase environmental and social responsibility as title
sponsor of the WMPO.”
Dedicated to maintaining the WMPO as the greenest stop on the PGA TOUR,
Waste Management will continue to showcase many of its sustainability
initiatives throughout the tournament, including the Zero Waste
Challenge which returns to the 2014 WMPO for a third year. The Zero
Waste Challenge aims to control materials brought into the event and
educate vendors and patrons about proper disposal of materials, so that
zero waste is sent to landfills. In 2014, Waste Management’s goal is to
divert 100 percent of tournament waste away from landfills and into
recycling and composting facilities.
To make sure that everything used at the WMPO can be recycled or
composted at the end of the tournament, Waste Management is focused on
educating WMPO vendors, sponsors and exhibitors about the right
materials to use and reuse. Waste Management instituted Guidelines for
Acceptable Materials and a Zero Waste Challenge Participation Agreement
which requires the use of reusable, recyclable and compostable materials
in an effort to “recycle right.”
As part of the Zero Waste Challenge, there will be no trash receptacles
on the course. Instead, Waste Management offers two alternatives to
disposal: recycling bins and compost bins, which will help to recover
nearly all tournament materials. In addition to nearly 6,000 recycling
and compost bins, Waste Management will introduce Zero Waste Stations in
2014. Three 40-yard dumpsters have been transformed to become
interactive Zero Waste Stations that will be focal points of the
tournament’s recycling and composting mission. Each station will be
staffed with knowledgeable volunteers to answer questions, provide
assistance and help fans make proper disposal of used materials (i.e.
cans, plates) a reality. Strategically placed in high-traffic areas,
these brightly colored units also have a high-tech side with large
flat-screen display panels showcasing “green” videos and live
“#greenestshow” Twitter feeds. In addition, they are designed to provide
a “photo opp” staging area for fans to take and upload photos of their
own.
Additional sustainability initiatives to be showcased along the course
in 2014 include:
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Waste Management works closely with WMPO vendors to monitor their use
of water throughout the week in order to decrease overall consumption.
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Waste Management works closely with signage vendors and manufacturers
to provide information about the tournament’s Acceptable Materials
Guidance including signage guidelines for vendors and sponsors, with
an emphasis on sustainable materials and reuse. Eighty-eight percent
of tournament signage from the 2013 tournament was stored for reuse
during the 2014 tournament.
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Use of greywater, or wastewater generated from the concessionaire’s
kitchens, will be recycled for use in portable toilets. Each year this
effort conserves thousands of gallons of fresh water.
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Compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks will transport the materials that
are collected during the tournament. The fuel in these trucks burns
cleaner than a standard diesel truck and therefore will reduce fleet
emissions associated with transportation.
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Sixty Waste Management solar-powered compactors will be located along
the course so patrons can dispose of their compost and recycling
materials more efficiently. These machines hold five times the amount
of materials as a traditional non-compacting bin, which reduces the
number of trips, and therefore, the natural resources needed to
service them.
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Waste Management’s hospitality tent will be powered by electricity
generated from a portable solar power unit.
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In an effort to turn waste into a resource, Waste Management will
bring all scrap wood used at the tournament to the Maricopa Organics
Recycling Facility developed in collaboration with Garick, where it
will be processed into compost and used as a soil amendment, a
sustainable key ingredient to soil.
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All of the tournament’s compost and food waste – referred to as
organics – will be sent to the Maricopa Organics Recycling Facility in
collaboration with Garick. These materials will be processed into
compost.
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All unused food will be donated to Waste Not, an Arizona non-profit
that collects excess perishable food – or food that would otherwise be
thrown away – from local restaurants, resorts, grocers, etc. and
delivers the food to facilities that feed the hungry in the local
community. In 2013, more than 16,000 pounds of unused food from the
tournament was donated to Waste Not.
The 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open reached its goal of diverting 100
percent of tournament waste away from landfills, as part of the Zero
Waste Challenge. The 2013 tournament also earned Gold Certification from
the Council for Responsible Sport for its socially and environmentally
responsible efforts in the planning and execution of the tournament. The
Gold Certification, good through the 2014 WMPO, means Waste Management
will continue to work with the Council to develop and continuously
evolve innovative programs to dramatically increase environmental and
social responsibility at the event. As the first PGA TOUR tournament to
receive such a designation, Waste Management aims to set the standard by
which all tournaments are measured.
In addition, the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open earned UL
Environment’s landfill waste diversion, or “Zero Waste to Landfill”
claim validation. UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters
Laboratories) provides companies with third-party verification of
environmental claims. Zero Waste to Landfill is the highest designation
of landfill diversion rate classified by UL Environment.
ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management (WM) is the leading provider of comprehensive waste
management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the
company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery,
and disposal services. It is one of the largest residential recyclers
and also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and
landfill gas-to-energy facilities in North America. The company’s
customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal
customers throughout North America. To learn more information about
Waste Management visit www.wm.com
or www.thinkgreen.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2013