Waste Management
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) established goals in 2016 for waste source reduction, recycling, and composting to reduce municipal solid waste volume in the waste stream over a period of twenty years. The state’s MSW diversion goal for 2021 is 28 percent. The waste diversion rate for Colorado golf courses was 55.8 percent in 2018, trending higher than the 2018 waste diversion rate of 17.2 percent for the state of Colorado, and the national waste diversion rate of 35.2 percent in 2017. [18, 19]
CGC data includes reuse, recycling, composting, and landfill statistics. Items included are plastics, metal, glass, paper, cardboard, clippings and trimmings. Results of this analysis will serve as a baseline to help increase awareness, support education, track material diversion trends, and guide continuous improvement.
About 71% of Colorado golf courses indicated they are recycling and an additional 17% are planning to implement recycling in the next five years.
45% of Colorado golf courses are composting, including green waste, with 36% measuring and tracking their volume.
Top waste reduction measures for respondents include recycling plastic, metal, glass, paper or cardboard (89%), electronic communications (88%), and electronics recycling (76%).
Proper Disposal of Waste Materials
Proper disposal of waste materials is critical for protection of water and natural resources. Unused pesticides or pesticides that have been mixed for application must be disposed of as waste and may be classified as hazardous waste depending on the materials involved. Colorado Golf Industry BMPs encourage golf maintenance professionals to contact local authorities for guidance regarding proper disposal; including the Agriculture Container Recycling Council (ACRC) for pesticide container collection (i.e. G. Phillips and Sons http://www.acrecycle.org/home).
Golf facility waste management data comes from the 2020 Colorado golf facility environmental impact survey conducted by Radius Sports Group, which included questions about annual waste, recycling, and composting amounts (n=61). Conversion estimates were used from averaged ranges published in Measuring Recycling: A Guide for State and Local Governments, by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Washington: 1997. Materials where scale-based weights were not possible (i.e. motor oil, fryer grease, furniture) were not included in these estimates.
[18] CDPHE , 2018 Colorado recycling totals. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2018-colorado-recycling-totals
[19] United States Environmental Protection Agency. National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials#NationalPicture