Zero waste event sets sustainability records

(Scottsdale, AZ) A massive beer shower to celebrate an ace at the par 3, 16^th hole at the WM Phoenix Open is predictable. When the 20,000+ fans in the “Coliseum” erupted after Emiliano Grillo’s second round hole-in-one during the 2025 tournament, they continued the frenzied tradition of tossing drink cups onto the green. However, they probably didn’t realize their actions contributed to a major sustainability initiative.

To replace aluminum cans banned in 2023, title sponsor WM came up with a creative, environmentally-friendly alternative – reusable cups. Thousands of logo cups were manufactured from recycled material specifically for use at the 16^th hole and a few suites at the 18^th. Patrons were encouraged to drop cups into specially-marked “Return Cups Here” bins, after which the drinkware would be washed, sanitized, put back into use or stored until the following year.

It may be a stretch to call the cup-tossing fans environmental advocates, but unwitting or not, they were an example of sustainability in action.

Greenest show on earth

Reusable cups are just one of many innovations WM has implemented at the Phoenix Open in their 16 years of title sponsorship. Putting on the world’s largest zero waste sporting event is quite a feat considering the estimated 500,000-700,000 people on the grounds over the course of tournament week. WM goes beyond just “eco-friendly,” however, and it is anticipated that 2025 will mark the 13^th consecutive year of the tournament’s zero waste certification.

In practical terms that means nothing goes to a landfill. There are no trash cans, and everything brought onto the property leaves as recycled, composted, reused, donated or recovered energy.

That’s because “sustainability” is more than a fuzzy concept or buzzword to WM and tournament hosts The Thunderbirds. It is a mission-driven commitment to a complex process that goes beyond disposal of materials and landfill diversion.

Working in partnership with The Thunderbirds, WM has always been agile and adaptable at creating, evaluating and modifying processes using a data-driven approach. The tournament is their lab where new ideas are brainstormed and put to the test, resulting in incremental or major changes where necessary.

“We get a new shot at it every single year.” explained Ashley Haight, WM senior associate, Advisory Services. “For example, we’ve now designed the entire process so that everything that you eat is compostable and everything that you drink is recyclable.”

Added WM Director of Advisory Services Lee Spivak, “We try an approach and then we’re able to scale it up here and take it to other customers. If it works here, it’s going to work at your event or venue.”

The art and science of sustainability

The WM mission statement is a deceptively simple one composed of three tenets in their Building Today for Tomorrow objectives:

1. Material is repurposed.
2. Energy is renewable.
3. Communities are thriving.

Within each are a multitude of complex initiatives and projects, many on display at the WM Phoenix Open.

Recycling and composting are the foundations of creating a zero waste event. On course are 4,800 cardboard recycle and compost bins (made from recycled material, of course), as well as 29 enormous, 6-ton capacity compactors to collect recycling and compost materials

In 2024, an astonishing 257 tons of composted material was collected along with 802 tons of recycled material. Since 2013, a total of 17,735,000 pounds of material has been diverted from landfills.

What happens behind the scenes is equally important.

Construction and demolition materials are reused, donated and/or recycled. Last year, 21,300 square feet of signage was reused and 243 tons of building material donated to local organizations.

Wraps and flash material from structures (scrim) is captured and made into pellets that become WM residential waste holders.

In 2024, 11 times more glass went to reuse instead of recycling.

Since 2011, 89,000 gallons of gray water has been captured from cooking, cleaning and melted ice for reuse in portable toilets.

Explained Spivak, “Controlling procurement in a way that focuses even increasingly more on reuse, I think that’s a big challenge. Getting the operational logistics to align with reuse is something that’s really a big deal.”

You wear it well

Apparel is another great example of creativity meets sustainability.

WM Vice President of Recycling Brent Bell’s guided tour of the 25,000 square foot PGA TOUR Fan Shop revealed a surprising amount of high end apparel made from recycled bottles. The fascinating process begins with plastic bottles from the tournament crushed and shipped to Unifi Manufacturing in North Carolina, where they are turned into flake-like chips, put into an extruder and – voila! – transformed into yarn that is then sold to apparel brands to make clothing and shoes.

It takes 6-9 bottles to fabricate a shirt and 10 or so for a sweater.

According to Bell, recycled material is usually more expensive because of the process and infrastructure involved, but the cost is worth it.

“What we always tell folks, and I think you’re seeing this movement here, is it’s a small price to pay for the environment because your other option is just using the natural resources that are being depleted.”

Food for thought

Food processing and waste is another back of house revelation.

Doug Janison, director of special events for M Culinary Concepts, oversees all the food prepared and served in tournament hospitality areas including suites, cabanas, chalets and verandas. His team will have served between 250,000 and 300,000 portions when the week is over.

Janison described the gradual transformation from plastic 10-inch scalloped plates, heavy duty plastic cutlery and thick napkins to the current one-utensil bamboo fork-only concept, serving proteins in a one-serving size compostable cup.

No more plates, knifes, spoons, lids, straws, or coffee cup sleeves.

Food and construction vendors must contractually abide by a strict set of requirements. It’s a very thorough vetting process that begins with WM distributing a material requirements list to all vendors, followed by a meeting with The Thunderbirds who explain their sustainability efforts. Next is a pre-event survey asking for product and materials specifics. Everything is double checked when vendors arrive on site, and re-checked throughout the week.

Captured food waste is transported to the Arizona Worm Farm, but ultimately the goal is to minimize waste in the first place.

“Because if we’re over producing on the front end, we’re just causing a little bit of the problem,” explained Janison.

M Culinary has also been able to capture unprocessed food safely, keeping it under refrigeration and staged in the commissary walk-in. Monday after the tournament, all the boxed and labeled food is donated to the local community for consumption.

Janison is proud that last year 22,300 lbs. of food was donated that benefited 13 partner agencies, including St. Mary’s Food Bank and Waste Not.

The People’s Open

The WM Green Scene was a hugely popular area for on-course public engagement offering fun, interactive family-friendly activities that educate and entertain.

According to WM Chief Customer Officer Mike Watson, “The goal in this fan zone is to help the participants and fans understand about how they could be more sustainable at their homes but also inform them of what’s really going on in the world of sustainability around water conservation and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Green Scene featured free water refill stations to help reduce plastic water bottle use. And there was even an MLB-inspired recycle toss, in recognition of WM’s partnership with the League.

Proof of concept

“We’ve always said that in order for something to be sustainable it has to drive economic and environmental value,” stated Tara Hemmer, WM senior vice president and chief sustainability.

She added, “And now we partner with dozens of sports organizations, events and customers where they’ve seen the event here, on TV or experienced it in person. It’s really been an exciting way for us to continue to grow sustainability, not only in sports, but across multiple customer segments.”

WM Advisory Services offers a diverse range of core services that includes analyzing emissions footprints, explaining diversion rates and demonstrating where they can improve operationally.

For example, in 2024, WM became the first Official Sustainability Partner of Major League Baseball and will work with all 30 teams to enhance their sustainability efforts.

Explained Spivak, “It starts with small steps to become more sustainable each year. What I’m excited about is our ability to partner with customers at different levels of their sustainability journey and help them along.

“We’re basically a Swiss army knife,” he added. “We’re going to help with your strategy, your materials management and in a way that I don’t think anyone else comes close to us. We’re also going to help with your stakeholder engagement.”

And sharing is caring. WM is creating a network of customers they want to bring together to learn from each other in a collaborative fahion that will eventually create a ripple effect.

The people have spoken

The hundreds of WM managers and staff working on site at the tournament were happy to be there. They were even enthusiastic at the daily 5:30 am zone manager briefing, where the 100+ attendees began the day with a hearty breakfast and interactive online quiz.

The complex staffing operation was divided into nine zones overseen by managers assigned in 14 places, including a night shift.

Among its many accolades, WM continues to earn recognition as one of the best workplaces, especially for encouraging and validating employee engagement.

“I had an idea and then people took it and actualized it and made it way better than I could have ever done it.” said Spivak. “Just that an employee could have this idea and be listened to and then it’s acted on is really meaningful to me.”

Giving back

That idea was the genesis of the WM Phoenix Open Working for Tomorrow Fund^SM that was created in 2024 to support emissions reduction, sustainable materials management and water management projects. Dow signed on as a major sponsor, while activations like Saturday Green Out (The Thunderbirds donate $1 per patron wearing green); 50/50 raffle; and donations from additional sponsors help grow the fund. Nearly $420,000 was raised in the first year, with proceeds distributed to several Arizona non-profits.

In addition, The Thunderbirds announced a record $17.5 million raised from the 2024 tournament, making a total of $142 million donated to local charities since WM became title sponsor.

Proof of concept

The WM Phoenix Open / Thunderbirds partnership has been extended through 2030. WM will continue working to cement its position as the acknowledged environmental services leader, using imagination and expertise in materials management to make a positive, lasting impact on the environment and communities they serve. Meanwhile, Thunderbirds Charities will continue to support local non-profits that focus on sports, health, education, the arts, social services, and improving the lives of children and families.

Thomas Detry held the trophy on Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, but WM, The Thunderbirds and, most importantly, the local community were all winners.