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US Open celebrates Green Initiative

September 5, 2017

Flushing N.Y. – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Green Initiative program at the 2017 US Open. Since its inception in 2008, the US Open Green Initiative has expanded each year to continuously make environmentally-sustainable choices that reduce the impact the US Open has on the environment.

In this, the 10th year of the program, 90 percent of US Open waste will be diverted from landfills, 12,000 gallons of kitchen grease will be recycled into biodiesel fuel, and more than 60 tons of organic waste from US Open kitchens will be composted.

Since 2008, the US Open has reduced its greenhouse emissions by 94,000 metric tons through waste diversion, recycled paper use, carbon offsets, and renewable energy certificates. This includes the diversion of more than 3,400 tons of waste and the recycling of nearly 2.6 million plastic bottles. The US Open has obtained enough renewable energy credits to provide electricity to 1,600 homes for an entire year and has donated more than 100 tons of food to local communities.

In addition, as the USTA continues its strategic transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, green building choices are incorporated into each step of the process, demonstrated by the LEED certification of the Grandstand Stadium and Transportation Building. The new Louis Armstrong Stadium, set to debut in 2018, is on track to be LEED certified for the 2018 US Open.

More than 95 percent of the waste from the demolition of both the original Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadiums was recycled. The new Louis Armstrong Stadium will use 40 percent less water through waterless urinals and low-flow plumbing fixtures. Landscaping around the new stadium has been designed to use 55 percent less water and the stadium, as a whole, has been designed to consume 25 percent less energy.

In collaboration with environmental consultant, eco evolutions, initiatives for 2017 include:

Waste Diversion

Recycled Paper

Transportation

Energy

Green Cleaning

Site renovations and expansion

Merchandising

Fan Awareness

Food

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.