Never Ending Products

The purchasing decisions made by golf businesses determine the amount of resources they consume and the waste they produce. Selecting products that have recycled content and are entirely recyclable, ensures that materials and resources exist in a continual cycle of re-use and re-cycling. Purchasing and using recycled products completes the recycling loop.

By avoiding products with virgin, or first generation material as their content, every golf business can lessen the lifecycle pressure it exerts. Using recycled products, and those with easily recyclable content, saves energy and water, supports the recycling industry, and plays a major part in golf’s contribution to the green economy. Consumers continue to express preferences for ethically and environmentally sound products so manufacturers are increasing the amount of high-quality recycled products that are available.

Old for new

Buying recycled should be central to any purchasing policy and extends into every aspect of golfing activity.

Building construction produces more than four times as much waste as the domestic sector. The environmental impact of extracting, processing and transporting construction materials, and then dealing with their waste, are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, toxic emissions, habitat and ecosystem destruction and resource depletion. Sourcing recycled construction materials really can make a difference. Recycled and recyclable products are now widespread and readily available: they include glass sands and recycled processing sands, crushed aggregates, compost derived soils, timber, steel, plastic geo-textiles and pipework.

For office and clubhouse materials, all golf facilities should opt for recycled paper, cardboard, plastics, crockery, napkins and many other day to day products and materials.