{"id":43296,"date":"2026-01-29T11:12:58","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T00:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/?p=43296"},"modified":"2026-01-29T11:30:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T00:30:33","slug":"sustainability-at-the-australian-open-a-green-approach-to-tennis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/news\/2026\/01\/29\/sustainability-at-the-australian-open-a-green-approach-to-tennis","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability at the Australian Open: A Green Approach to Tennis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Australian Open (AO) is not just breaking records with its crowds and diverse range of activities; it&#8217;s also setting standards in sustainability. Ever wondered how this Grand Slam Tennis event prioritises recycling and reuse? Here\u2019s a snapshot of their eco-friendly initiatives:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Renewable Energy:<\/strong> The entire AO site operates on 100% renewable energy year-round, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Waste Management:<\/strong> Six waste compounds are strategically situated around the precinct during the event. A dedicated workforce meticulously sorts recyclables from landfill, ensuring minimal waste.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Container Deposits:<\/strong> Bottles and cans are collected as part of Victoria&#8217;s Container Deposit Scheme, promoting recycling and waste reduction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ball Tube Repurposing:<\/strong> tennis ball tubes will be shredded and transformed into items such as tables, showcasing innovative recycling.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tennis Racquets Strings:<\/strong> the AO is piloting a program to shred used racquet strings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eco-Friendly Transport:<\/strong> The AO\u2019s transport fleet includes 55 electric vehicles (EVs) out of 130. This includes two charming player buggies named \u2018Norm\u2019 and \u2018Daphne\u2019.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charging Infrastructure:<\/strong> There are 28 EV charging points available, including three fast chargers to support the growing number of EVs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hydration Stations:<\/strong> Water and bottle refill stations are available throughout the precinct. Players exclusively use reusable water bottles, contributing to waste reduction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Educational \u2018Trash Talkers\u2019:<\/strong> Strategically placed around the venue, these helpful guides encourage and educate patrons on proper waste disposal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reusable Utensils:<\/strong> The use of reusable bowls and drink containers is promoted, reducing single-use waste.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tennis Ball Donation:<\/strong> The perennial question of <em>\u2018what happens to all those tennis balls\u2019<\/em> \u2026 balls are either donated to the Australian Tennis Foundation or sold on to local coaches for reuse, extending their life beyond the tournament.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The Australian Open&#8217;s commitment to sustainability is setting a precedent in sports events, combining world-class tennis with responsible environmental practices.<\/p>\n<p>What can <strong>you<\/strong> do at <strong>your<\/strong> club to support initiatives at the <strong>community<\/strong> level? Check out Tennis Victoria\u2019s resources and supported initiatives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/learnandserve\/facilities\">Facilities | Learn &amp; Serve | Tennis Victoria<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-standard-landscape\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1722-700x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1722-700x450.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1722-360x230.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1722-200x128.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-standard-landscape\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1697-700x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1697-700x450.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1697-360x230.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1697-200x128.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-standard-landscape\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1682-700x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1682-700x450.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1682-360x230.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1682-200x128.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-standard-landscape\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1671-700x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1671-700x450.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1671-360x230.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_1671-200x128.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever wondered how the AO prioritises recycling and reuse? Here\u2019s a snapshot of their eco-friendly initiatives:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6423,"featured_media":43297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}