Scottsdale, Ariz. – At 5am in TPC Scottsdale, approximately 120 WM employees arrived at Sustainability Headquarters on call hours. It's cold and dark, and the golf course is invisible. But everyone here wears a smile on their face and is ready to work on another day to keep WM Phoenix Zero Wast Event open.
After calming down, eating breakfast and drinking coffee, the group is ready for the morning meeting that starts every day at 5:30. Lee Spibach and Chad Boden, directors of advisory services, are Four Corner's Directors of Collection Operations, leading the way, providing enthusiasm and giving confidence to all attendees. All of these employees are zone directors of the week and spend time opening the gold standard of sustainability in WM Phoenix. Spivak and Bowden will step up vendor rules and ensure that everyone, including those selling food, alcohol and products, employ reusable measures and properly dispose of things that are no longer needed. If one of the zone directors finds a violation, they should call Spivak immediately. Spibac handles problems and educates guilty about how to improve locale.
Immediately after the morning meeting is over at about 6am, the 120 zone director finds a golf cart and heads to their respective areas. Some are assigned to the frequently run-through spots around the clubhouse, while others do the tough job of keeping the 16th hole. Each zone director leads around 600 temporary workers hired a week, cleans the bins and keeps the course clean. But they don't have much time to prepare TPC Scottsdale. Rabies fans who help make the tournament unique at 7am means it takes less than an hour for everyone involved to prepare.
Of course, WM Phoenix Open is known as “The People's Open.” The 16th hole is attracting most attention as nothing in golf is comparable to that. However, if you've ever participated in the WM Phoenix Open, you'll see no traces of waste, considering that over 100,000 people visited the course every day. Saturday's third round will often see over 200,000 visitors. This is a ridiculous number that other American sporting events can't compare to.
Small yellow and green bottles (4,800 in total) are found all over the course. You can't miss it when traversing the TPC Scottsdale. The yellow bin collects compost items, including reusable coffee cups, food scraps, napkins and bamboo cooking utensils. The green bottles can be received in bottles, cans and reusable cups.
Whenever a bin reaches capacity, the WM Zone Manager or temporary worker sorts it and ensures that everything that has been discarded is placed properly. The process begins shortly after the morning meeting is over and continues throughout the day.
Despite a massive influx of people, the WM Phoenix Open remains a zero-wast event, and the tournament has been pride in 2013 since it was completely sustainable and wasted.
Daily operations on hole 16 provide examples of this.
Large trash line up around the stadium, but sitting behind the fence, barely noticeable to countless fans. They correspond to course bins: yellow for compost and green for recyclable. But instead of temporary workers, who carry up and down the stadium stairs by vendors, employees and temporary workers, each trash can has a tall chute that stretches to the top of the stadium. At all levels, the shoot has an opening that correlates with the appropriate colour. Yellow for compost and green for recyclables. This is an incredible yet simple process that makes it easy to dispose of things that no one needs anymore.
Dozens of these shots line up at the suite level at the stadium on hole 16, all needed as there are food vendors and bars every 10 feet in the hallway. Small white bathtubs are also scattered throughout the sweet area, collecting only ice water. The water is then recycled and recycled for people across Arizona, another important part of this tournament and its sustainability efforts.
The dish is also distributed in recycled paper cups, such as Caesar salads, pasta dishes, chicken, and brisket. The parts are also correctly allocated. M Culinary Concepts, the company that manages food operations in the tournament's hospitality area, has conducted countless research to ensure that people don't waste too much. Each part of this year is around 8 ounces, and it's an impressive detail that's easily overlooked. But if people have leftovers to throw away, those hood scraps are collected by WM. Scrap is then distributed to worm farms, which produce compost and nutrient-rich fertilizers for horticultural and farming.
All of the properties are reusable, including items featuring apparel made from plastic bottles. Yes, WM collects bottles and cans, breaks them down into bits, ships pieces to a North Carolina facility, and makes thread. The thread is then used to create shirts, pullovers, and hats. All of these are available in TPC Scottsdale merchandise tents. I don't even know the differences between the products.
“We're really proud of how it is [the WM Phoenix Open] Connected to our brand's purpose. The brand's purpose is always working for a sustainable tomorrow at golf games. We are always working to be sustainable tomorrow. It focuses on three emotions in WM. Materials are recycled, energy is renewable, and communities are thriving.
“Given the community thriving, one thing we are truly proud of at this event is that we have been involved with Thunderbirds since we were title sponsored in 2010, and we have been involved in 14,200 yen. We donate over 10,000 dollars to local charities. We raised $17.5 million last year.”
Some of these philanthropy will go to The Working For Tomorrow Fund, which aims to reduce Arizona's emissions, help with material management, and maintain water management projects. The Southwest of the United States has had a water shortage for a long time, so storing as much water as possible is not the choice. That is a must. The Thunderbirds will also donate $1 to the Working For Tomorrow Fund for everyone who wears green on Saturday. Other sponsors, vendors and private donors also support the fund. The 2024 tournament raised $419,000 for the fund. This is an impressive amount for the first year.
However, now WM is looking to apply these strategies to other events both inside and outside the golf field. They have partnered with the US Open and have recently established a relationship with Major League Baseball. WM brings these efforts to this year's All-Star Game in Atlanta.
WM is a model for promoting zero waste events and educates everyone who participates. Everyone from WM employees to players, everyone must contribute their fair share for a better, more sustainable tomorrow. And for the benefit of the state of Arizona and its surrounding environment, 2025 WM Phoenix exemplified it.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
