Dick Roche, the Irish Minster for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has said that The 36th Ryder Cup at The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, in September will be one of the most environmentally friendly golf events ever staged.
Commending Richard Hills, Ryder Cup director and Gerry Byrne, estate manager at The K Club for their commitment and wishing them luck in their preparations, Mr Roche said, “The 36th Ryder Cup at The K Club is getting into the Race Against Waste and September’s event will include a wide range of best practice environmental measures to encourage maximum recycling and minimum waste.
“The Race Against Waste Team have been working closely with The European Tour organisers on The Ryder Cup to ensure that waste produced at The K Club will be reduced, reused and recycled, in keeping with Irish national waste policy and the European Tour’s commitment to better environmental standards at all their events.”
Elizabeth Arnett, technical director of Race Against Waste confirmed that a number of Race Against Waste initiatives are planned for the five day event that will attract up to 45,000 people daily.
“There will be extensive recycling facilities in The Ryder Cup tented village and out on the course so people can separate plastic, aluminium and paper waste and there will be plenty of signage, on and off the course, so everyone knows what to do,” she said. “A poster campaign on buses bringing people to The K Club will remind people to manage their waste properly when at The Ryder Cup. Food waste from hospitality units and caterers will also be separated out from other waste.”
Richard Hills said that since The Ryder Cup at Valderrama in Spain in 1997, there has been gradual integration of more and more environmental best practice into the event. “This year we will be concentrating on raising spectator awareness of environmental issues. An environment brochure is being produced for The 36th Ryder Cup to inform people of the environmental activities associated with the tournament and to encourage people to play their part. Alongside the re-cycling information, we will provide other wildlife and landscape information to spectators as they move around the course. We recognise the event has a role to play in raising people’s awareness of a wide range of environmental issues.”
A number of other partners including Fà¡ilte Ireland, the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland are also contributing to the communications effort. The programme of activities has been coordinated by Golf Environment Europe, a partnership of golfing and environmental bodies working to promote environmental sustainability in European golf.
Other aspects of the environmental programme include an extensive public transport and park and ride system, the extension of The K Club’s already strong environmental management plan, and the conservation of key habitats and landscape features on the site.
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Ryder Cup joins race against waste
