Research, interviews and copywriting | Client: Spotless Group.
Presidents Cup Golf
At one of the world’s foremost sporting events, Spotless achieved a global milestone in terms of sustainable waste management practices. The goal was to divert all waste from going directly to landfill.
The 2011 Presidents Cup Golf tournament was held at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Spotless provided catering, cleaning and waste management services across the seven day event.
Spotless set and achievedthe goal of diverting more than 50 tonnes of food and catering waste from going directly to landfill.
Spotless teams provided cleaning and waste services for the 100,000 spectators whilst Spotless’ catering brand EPICURE fed 21,000 corporate guests.
The integration of catering, cleaning and waste management with one supplier enabled the optimal waste re-streaming.
“We were in the unique position of having total control and responsibility of the entire waste stream of the Presidents Cup 2011, from procurement through to disposal,” explains Craig Lovett, General Manager – Leisure, Sports and Entertainment, “this allowed us to achieve the desired waste management outcomes and share the rewards and benefits with our client,” he says.
Over the course of the event:
- Over 13 tonnes of glass was crushed and reduced on site before being sent to the glass recycling facility.
- The equivalent of half a tonne of organic waste was reduced to approximately 56 kilograms of bio mass, which was used by the club’s horticulturalist.
- Over 95 per cent of front of house waste was made up of recyclables– a direct result of eco-friendly procurement.
“For Spotless, demonstrating quantifiable environmental benefits is now the norm”, explains Lovett, “We are always searching for the right ‘green solution’ for our clients and this is often enhanced by the integrated offering that Spotless can provide”.
The success of the event was based upon “The Spotless Process” of achieving sustainability through service control and integration.
The methodology influences waste management outcomes through a number of discrete phases including pre-planning, strategic event management, post-event analysis and identification of lessons learned for future improvements.
The methodology
Eco friendly procurement
Prior to the event, Spotless took responsibility for the procurement of eco-friendly products and supplies. Due to the rigorous procurement process, the majority of front of house waste was made up of recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, aluminium cans and bottles, and recyclable plastics.
Onsite composting
Organic waste was diverted from landfill by using a Gaia waste drying machine, which reduced the volume of organic waste by 85-90% and sterilised waste to neutralise seeds and pathogens. The result was a rich bio mass that the Royal Melbourne Golf Club was able to use as a soil amendment.
Onsite reduction of recyclables
All glass was collected and crushed on site in glass crushing machines located behind each kitchen area. This reduced cost and improved ease of transport of recyclables to the Material Recovery Facility.
Spotless’ waste management program also delivered economic benefits for the Presidents Cup, for example:
- The cost of sending food scraps to composting is approximately 40 per cent per tonne less than sending to landfill.
- The cost of sending glass for recycling is approximately 75 per cent per tonne less than sending to landfill.
- The cost of sending commingled recyclable waste streams to a sorting facility is approximately 75 per cent per tonne less than sending to landfill.
Waste stream management
Part of the success of the program was the successful management of waste streams, front and back of house. Front of house bins were sorted daily by the Spotless team. Spotless managers, supervisors and chefs were trained on waste streaming processes. Random bin audits limited contamination and kept waste streams pure.
Spotless is committed to sustainable work practices and continues to consult with our clients to incorporate positive sustainability outcomes that form part of our ‘day-to-day’ best practice operations.
