| Waste not, want not. The saying has gained steam across the golf industry. Josh Heptig, Director of Golf Operations at County of San Luis Obispo, is doing more than speaking about it, however. “We’re trying to eliminate all waste from our property,” he said of the initiative. “Whether it’s our food waste that would go to a landfill [or other], it goes on the compost pile.” Considering compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer or soil amendment, it isn’t hard to see how it can be useful on a golf course. Heptig and his team are working with turf researchers at California Polytechnic State University to look at the cost benefits, as well. “Utilizing the compost could reduce water usage by as much as 20 percent, which would be a huge return on investment,” he said. “On the front end, it does cost a little more, but the amount of potential money we can save on things like trash hauling - I hope we can recoup. If we can’t recoup it all, at least we’re being better for the environment.” They’ve invested approximately $50,000 in the program so far, much of that coming from grants and outside funding. Heptig knows it is probably more expensive in California because of all the environmental regulations, but said there is “more than monetary value.” “We’re not only helping the golf course, but also the environment,” he said. “It’s a good PR move for the golf industry in general.” From an annual budget standpoint, Heptig believes they save $30,000 a year on fertilizer, with the potential to cut fertility costs in half and at least that in fungicides. As for convincing his employees to buy into the adjustments created by this environmentally movement, it wasn’t a difficult transition, according to Heptig. “The turf maintenance staff always had a green-waste area, but that takes years to decompose,” he said. “Now they bring waste materials to composters. “The biggest thing was getting F&B in line,” he said, knowing that department generates between 30 and 100 lbs. of food waste per day. They showed each employee a video that explained the benefits of composting to the community and course. “They all bought in pretty easily,” Heptig said. “And w’re making more compost than we can use” The most surprising thing has been the interest from the public, with customers helping the sorting efforts. There’s even a walking tour available - complete with informational signage - much like a zoo. Heptig has eliminated most trash cans and replaced them with recycling and compost bins and has posted signage around the facility to make customers aware of the initiative. He’s also holding vendors to a higher standard. “We took a look at what we bring into our facilities and asked vendors to look at their packaging,” he said. Sun Chips, for instance, changed to an environmentally friendly recycled package and Heptig would like to see others make similar moves. Double-wax paper cups - like those used for hot beverages - aren’t recyclable, so those are being phased out. And the snack bar no longer has individual ketchup and mustard packages - switching to larger, on-shelf containers. Dairy creamer cups also are gone. From the snack bar to the fairways, the sustainable approach to maintenance is practical, both ecologically and from a business standpoint, he said. “There’s so much food waste,” Heptig said. “Turn that into a product you can use on your golf course.” |
