Sustainability practices have been paramount for Hamilton County sports programming, and that continues with the ethos of LIV Golf.
“It’s important for them to leave their places better than they found them,” said Laura Crum, who is the chair of the sustainability committee. “A zero waste event is the goal.”
All trash created in the event is to be recycled or composted, and a group of local volunteers is set to hand sort trash for four days after the final putt has been made. Any trash that can’t be recovered will be converted to steam energy. Event vendors are working with tournament organizers to donate and recycle special materials to extend the usage of valuable natural resources.
According to Katherine Couch of Hamilton County Tourism, leftover food will be donated to local hunger relief organizations, and free water refill stations will be available across the course to help reduce single-use plastic bottle consumption.
Crum and Couch, along with Westfield Director of Parks Chris McConnell and a host of local organizers and volunteers, worked with local partner RE317 as the sorting and composting partner. Indy-based non-profit RecycleForce is the hard plastic consumption partner, and Second Helpings is the food donation partner.
“Sustainability is a growing trend, and locally, it’s a big deal to have sustainable programs as we are building and renovating sports facilities,” Crum said.
Chatham Hills itself is also active with sustainable efforts. According to Couch, the facility uses robust data tracking to reduce water and fertilizer usage. Chatham Hills has left multiple acres of land untouched for wildlife and also stewards bee pollinators to contribute to a healthy ecosystem. That aligns with LIV Golf’s Legacy Project, which involves installing permanent signage that highlights the pollinators, beehives, native wildlife, land, and stormwater management initiatives. Chatham Hills also worked with LIV Golf to retire Renewable Energy Certificates, which will support clean energy across the Indianapolis region.
“We have appreciated LIV Golf’s proactive efforts to lower emissions, divert waste, and invest in our local circular economy by using our network of local vendors for all of these initiatives,” Couch said. “We want to be good stewards of our destination, which is also our home. A healthy environment is the foundation of our thriving community.”
