Like other sports such as baseball and golf, the tennis circuit is looking a little greener around the edges, particularly in light of the United States Tennis Association’s adoption of sweeping environmental initiatives which 30 Rock standout Alec Baldwin is currently promoting in a new set of public service announcements.
Working closely with GreenSlam, Eco Evolutions and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the organization has established a sizable collection of green goals designed to make their annual two-week U.S. Open a lot easier on the environment.
Here are some of the most notable highlights for the green geeks out there:
- Renewable energy certificates matching the electricity consumption of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be issued during the 2010 U.S. Open.
- Site-wide composting will be available across the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center complex along with comprehensive recycling of glass, cans, plastic and cardboard.
- 20,000 tennis ball cans will be recycled and 60,000 balls will be reused and then donated to various programs following the U.S. Open.
- Common concession stand items such as cups, plates and utensils will now contain bio-materials and food will be expanded to include locally grown, natural and organic offerings.
- Paper products (such as napkins and towels) now contain varying degrees of post-consumer content, some as high as 100%.
- Various types of U.S. Open merchandise are now made with post consumer waste and even the tickets/paper souvenirs are made with recycled content.
If you like your Baldwin with a side of cheese, then you’re going to love the PSAs that follow (although somehow, a riff on his infamous SNL schweddy balls skit would have been infinitely tastier 
Via Long Island Tennis Magazine
