A wide-ranging sustainability drive will occur during the PGA of America’s KitchenAid Senior Championship after the organisation agreed a partnership with a large recycling company.

Schupan Recycling will collect water bottles, beer cans and waste cardboard from vendors to recycle throughout the championship, which will take place between 22-27 May.

The company will also take responsibility for all food waste diversion in the catering kitchen in order to reduce the event’s overall carbon footprint. All materials will be recycled a composted locally in Michigan, close to the Benton Harbour-based Harbour Shores golf course the competition will be hosted at.

Ryan Ogle, championship director, said the relationship with Schupan was “testament to the PGA of America’s efforts to reduce our impact on the environment”.

Schupan’s SustainAbility Division, which specifically focuses on reducing impacts at major events, will take on the project. Throughout its work it has saved 117,861 gallons of oil being used, 994,867 kilowatt hours and 7,480 cubic yards of landfill space.

Benton Harbour will also benefit from a community tree-planting project on 21 May, which is also being instigated by the PGA of America. Since launching its tree-planting initiative in 2012 to coincide with the Senior Championship, PGA of America has planted 2,000 trees close to host golf courses.

The governing body has stepped up its sustainability work of late, launching its first sustainability report – Bringing Energy to the Game – and partnering with the Green Sports Alliance and energy company Constellation.

Find out more by reading Sport Sustainability Journal’s interview with Luke Reissman, PGA of America’s senior director, partnerships, here.