Madison,
20
June
2019
|
08:01 AM
America/Chicago

Going green at AmFam Champ

As part of their Corporate Responsibility Program, American Family is partnering with Waste Management, Inc., to ensure the American Family Insurance Championship edges even closer to a totally zero-waste event.

With more than 80 volunteers last year, American Family achieved a 93 percent waste diversion rate, keeping the majority of waste generated from tournament week out of landfills. Volunteers literally got their hands dirty – opening nearly every bag of waste generated at the tournament to sort its contents into the correct waste streams. Quite a feat considering there were 65,000 attendees over several days.

This year, Waste Management will partner with American Family to handle sorting and transporting of all waste created at the golf event, including:

  1. Food waste: All food waste is collected and sorted into a compost container. Pre-consumer waste is sorted and donated for reuse.
  2. Liquid waste: All liquid waste is collected and sorted into a liquids container. Liquid is broken down into bio solids for various applications.
  3. Construction and demolition waste: All wood and metal from the construction and demolition of the event is sorted and recycled.
  4. Commingled recycling: All commingled recycling, including cardboard, plastics and aluminum, is collected, sorted and recycled.
  5. Waste-to-energy: Any waste that cannot be reused, donated or recycled, is sent to an incineration facility where it is burned and converted into energy.
  6. Carpet donation: A significant amount of carpet waste is collected after the tournament and will be re-purposed at a local indoor/outdoor golf facility and other locations.
  7. Landfill: The only material anticipated to go to landfill is carpet that cannot be re-purposed, recycled or incinerated.

“We have a serious commitment to zero waste at AmFam Champ, going above and beyond in promoting correct waste disposal to our attendees, providing plenty of waste containers and disposing of all food, recycling and construction materials in a responsible way,” says Kris Canto, workplace sustainability administrator. “With the coordinated, professional efforts of Waste Management this year, we’re hoping to top our 93 percent diversion rate from 2018.”

Watch this video to learn more: