Golf Tournament Makes A Recycling Hole In One

WORLD WASTES STAFF

Indian Wells, Calif.-The immaculate greens in the Palm Springs area of Indian Wells, Calif., home of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament, almost got lost under all the rubble.

To meet waste reduction goals mandated by the state in 1991 and save money on cleaning up the area, the city came up with a plan that identified cost-effective, recyclable materials. With the help of the tournament office and the Indian Wells Country Club, it was decided to begin with the collection of aluminum cans and cardboard during the 1996 Chrysler Classic.

Indian Wells loaned the Classic office the 42 special event recycling containers it had purchased. Almost 10,000 cans, approximately 400 lbs. of aluminum, and about 450 lbs. of cardboard were collected.

Ricardo Prado, director of maintenance and engineering at the country club, said they were unprepared the first day, but by the second, things went a bit smoother. "We moved the bins right next to the trash receptacles. That made it easier for people to identify which receptacles were for trash and which were for cans," he said. "And, we identified areas where the crowds were most concentrated." He added that they expect to double the amount of collected recyclables next year. An ad in the tournament program alerting spectators to the bins and onsite signage should increase awareness.

In addition, they expect to include glass, plastic and tournament programs in its recyclable goods.

"Recycling makes economic sense. It not only reduces the amount of trash in our landfill, it reduces clean-up costs after the tournament and actually creates revenue," said city manager George Watts.