Tag Archive for: Sustainability

R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

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R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability: The R&A has expanded its Sustainable Agronomy Service to provide expertise and best practice advice to all levels of golf facilities in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe, aiding in the effective management of courses.

First launched in the Asia-Pacific market, the service will now offer facility operators worldwide with support in the delivery of sustainable agronomy, golf course auditing and benchmarking, management planning and strategic advice, annual maintenance programme planning, and project management support and drainage design.

R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

The service is already actively supporting and guiding clubs to become more resilient and sustainable in the face of changing legislation on pesticides, climate change and access to resources.

Clubs such as Haydock Park, West Sussex and Blackwell are among over 100 facilities in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe already being encouraged to use more resilient grass mixes and improve growing environments for grass, in addition to making the turf less reliant on pesticides.

“We’re here to provide expertise and support to golf facilities, highlighting the most efficient and accessible methods surrounding sustainable golf course management,” said Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A.

“This will enable them to develop plans that will present facilities with optimum conditioning all year round but have sustainability at the heart of the decisions and processes put in place to support this aim.”

The Sustainable Agronomy Service includes a team of agronomy experts which has acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience from its active role in supporting world-class golf championships run by The R&A each year – including The Open and AIG Women’s Open.

The team will offer facilities a bespoke service with ongoing support and advice in the planning and implementation of effective and sustainable management practices.

Paul Woodham, Head of Agronomy, Europe, at The R&A, said, “We have already seen facilities in the Asia-Pacific region benefit greatly from the support and collaboration that have been provided for the sustainable management of facilities.

“The introduction of the service in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe forms part of the organisation’s aim to encourage facilities to adopt a more sustainable approach to the management of courses. Furthermore, we are fully committed to reinvesting proceeds from the service into research and education for those operating in the industry.”

To enquire about these services e-mail sustainableagronomy@randa.org

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Reesink supporting sustainability at SAGE

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Reesink supporting sustainability at SAGE: SAGE 2023 is hosting the first Sustainability Solutions for Grounds Specialists Summit live, in partnership with Bio-Circle and supported by Reesink Turfcare.

The event, at Three Counties Showground in Malvern on 19-20 July, will focus on demonstrating how businesses in the sports and outdoor maintenance industries can lower their impact on the environment and take vital steps towards being sustainable. This will include a live panel for sharing sustainable practices among many things.

Reesink supporting sustainability at SAGE

Reesink supporting sustainability at SAGE

Bio-Circle, the sustainable surface technology system manufacturer, and machinery distributor Reesink Turfcare have joined forces to form an initiative called GreenGrounds to promote environmental awareness within the turf and groundscare industries, bring the industries together, raise the importance of effective sustainable activities, make an overall positive impact towards decarbonisation and environmentally friendly maintenance for groundscare.

Gillian Haverson, marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, a Bio-Circle distributor, says: “Reesink and Bio-Circle have come together to accept our environmental and sustainable responsibilities to help the future of the industry. Reesink is happy to support this initiative and bring awareness of more sustainable solutions to groundscare professionals.

“It’s important we focus on providing sustainable, environmentally friendly technology that reduce our customer’s carbon footprint and do not compromise on the quality of the work. Our current offering includes products powered by biodiesel and advanced batteries made more efficient by incorporating electronic fuel injection, hybrid and electric technologies.”

And some of this technology will be at SAGE. The all-electric Toro Greensmaster eFlex 1021 pedestrian mower, for example, which has been seen cutting the greens at Royal Liverpool Golf Club for The Open 2023, will be on the Bio-Circle stand with a Reesink rep available to discuss all electric and hybrid machinery options available from Toro, who has led the technology in this field.

Find out more about Reesink, Bio-Circle and GreenGrounds by calling 01480 226800 or going online at reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on: DLF’s continued focus on breeding environmentally responsible varieties has seen the introduction of a number of exceptional cultivars, helping facilities and turf managers achieve their own objectives for more sustainable management.

In trials for the Chewings Fescue category, DLF’s Orionette demonstrated a high-quality sward that is more drought tolerant and resistant to disease, reducing the reliance on inputs. It is therefore no surprise to see its inclusion in a number of top-performing DLF golf mixtures and find it ranked as number one in the 2023 BSPB Seed Guide!

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

Chewings Fescue grass (Festuca rubra commutata) is a popular cool-season grass, valued for its fine texture, early growth habit, attractive green colour and ability to thrive in a range of soil conditions. Its upright growth results in dense tufts without rhizomes, so it doesn’t spread like it’s Slender or Strong Creeping cousins. Over the years, Chewings Fescue has been extensively bred and developed to offer a hardier and even more adaptable turf, tolerant of close mowing and typically blended with other fescues to create a golf mixture with exceptional ball roll and playability.

In recent years, breeding efforts – including those by DLF – have focussed on developing Chewings Fescue cultivars that require less water and fertiliser and be naturally more resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for chemical inputs and therefore improving environmental sustainability. Orionette is the result of more than 15 years of research and development, created by combining plants of the very best germplasm available in DLF breeding. Extensive screening across DLF’s European trials network followed, including for drought tolerance in France, winter tolerance in the Czech Republic as well as green trials conducted in Denmark.

The results showed superior performance in all aspects and thanks to its high tiller density, Orionette is more tolerant to winter diseases such as Red Thread and highly resilient to wear and tear.

It’s ability to perform under a lower Nitrogen-input programme is another reason why Orionette excels in a number of popular Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures for fine turf – both as a drought-tolerant fairway cultivar in J Premier Fairway or in a disease and weed resistant capacity in a greens mix such as J Fescue and J Green. J Premier Fairway is a high-performance blend of seven fescue cultivars for the sustainable management of non-rye tees and fairways. Orionette makes up 15% of both J Fescue and J Green, requiring less water and fertiliser and contributing to fast and sustainable surfaces.

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Sustainability at the heart of SAGE 2023

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Sustainability at the heart of SAGE 2023: Planning for SAGE 2023 is well underway, and this year sustainability is at its core. After a heatwave and drought sweeping the UK this summer, and with the ongoing energy crisis causing increasing uncertainty, it has never been more important for the groundscare industry to take conscious steps to combat climate change.

SAGE is returning for its third year in 2023 and realises the importance of reducing its impact on the environment, so this year is taking extra measures to ensure SAGE 2023 is as genuinely sustainable as possible.

Sustainability at the heart of SAGE 2023

Sustainability at the heart of SAGE 2023

Rather than vague promises of sustainability, SAGE is backing up claims of sustainability with actions that are tangibly good for the environment. Event Manager at SAGE, Vicky Panniers, said: “The deadline for becoming sustainable in the world of sports is now looming and our industry must now start to think of the steps we all need to take to become carbon neutral and comply with the new legislation.”

From using sustainable cleaning products to reducing single-use plastic, SAGE is implementing a wide range of sustainable practices all in line with Eventex’s suggested green practices, as highlighted in its ‘We are Green’ initiative. This initiative aims to inspire sustainability across the event industry, raise environmental awareness, and build a community of green-thinking organisers – something that is central to SAGE’s ethos.

Carbon footprint

What is a trade show without suppliers? In building next year’s exhibition show, SAGE has consciously chosen goods and services from responsible suppliers that share the same sustainability aims. Where possible, SAGE is sourcing local suppliers to reduce the carbon footprint as well as supporting local businesses. Plus, with a large number of expected visitors, SAGE is encouraging guests to travel by public transport to reduce the number of cars on the roads. For those who cannot travel by public transport, there will be free parking available on-site for increased accessibility.

Waste

With every event of this scale, waste can quickly build up. To reduce the impact, all on-site catering will be using fully compostable packaging, and all waste that does amass will be removed from the site, sorted, and then recycled or composted where possible. The remaining waste will be incinerated or turned into eco-friendly refuse-derived fuel.

Single-use plastic

SAGE is taking a stand against single-use plastic. Unlike other trade shows where disposable lanyards are the norm, SAGE is removing plastic badge covers and replacing them with sustainable lanyards.

Instead of plastic cups serving drinks at the bar, hireable glasses will be used at the networking event, where a variety of beers will be served on tap from barrels rather than from bottles. In a bid to tackle the use of disposable water bottles, SAGE is also installing free water refill stations across the showground and encouraging visitors to bring their own reusable bottles.

Venue

Situated in the stunning Three Counties Showground, in the vale of the Malvern Hills, SAGE prides itself on being in a beautiful bio-diverse area, where woodland and wildflower zones are left uncut, encouraging nature and wildlife to flourish. Setting aside these protected nature areas on site helps to preserve the natural habitats of the grounds and reduce the impact of the event on local wildlife.

SAGE is known for its unique outdoor setting, where exhibitors get the opportunity to display machinery in action. For demonstrations, all-natural materials will be sourced locally, such as brush for chippers and feature gardens. The green energy tariff will also be applied to this event.

Partners

SAGE has announced Bio Circle and GRASS as official partners. With the philosophy of “Making Green Work”, environmental surface technology specialist Bio-Circle has over 35 years of expertise in sustainable parts cleaning. Partnering with SAGE, Bio-Circle demonstrates how business can lower their environmental impact by offering environmental solutions for cleaning and maintenance of groundscare equipment. Bio-Circle will also appear on the live panel event at SAGE’s improved ‘Sustainable Solutions for Grounds Specialists Summit’.

SAGE has also partnered with the Groundscare Resources and Sustainability Solutions experts GRASS, who work across the groundscare and sports industry to implement sustainable changes, and will be offering advice on tailor-made sustainability practices. Chairman of GRASS, Mark Tomlinson, highlights their mission: “Through our work together, we will be working with progressive sports sector leaders to implement sustainable changes now and as new opportunities arise.”

Discover. Demo. Network.

With sustainable practices at the heart of the SAGE 2023 event, this exhibition is set to send waves through the industry and set the precedent for years to come.

With the renowned outdoor setting, convenient try before you buy set up, and free demo plot, SAGE is a great way to demonstrate your machinery to visitors. With unbeatable prices from as low as £14 per m2, secure your place now at SAGE 2023 with the early bird offer, which gives you. 10% off any stand until 31/01/22.

For more information, or to book exhibition space, please visit sportsandgrounds.events or contact Vicky Panniers vp@sportsandgrounds.co.uk. To learn more about how SAGE is implementing sustainable practices, read more on their newest blog post.

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Sustainability issues at the heart of Learning LIVE

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Sustainability issues at the heart of Learning LIVE: In the month that saw the UK climate reach unprecedented levels of 40°C for the first time on record, the Grounds Management Association (GMA) is highlighting the need to place sustainability and environmental issues at the heart of the grounds maintenance sector’s thinking – and at the heart of SALTEX’s Learning LIVE sessions. 

GMA Chief Executive, Geoff Webb said: “Those managing and maintaining sports turf and green spaces are already having to deal with the impact of climate change and industry suppliers are doing their best to innovate and help grounds people to minimise the impact of droughts and floods.

Sustainability issues at the heart of Learning LIVE

Sustainability issues at the heart of Learning LIVE

“Extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent, and we need to continue to educate grounds staff and plan now to ensure that as a sector, we are equipped to deal with what lies ahead.”

Announcing speakers for Europe’s leading sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, SALTEX, which is free to attend and organised by the GMA, Geoff Webb explains the value of attending the show’s Learning LIVE sessions.

“Learning LIVE has been designed to provide support, insight, and real solutions to key industry issues, including those relating to sustainability and the environment and we are delighted to be confirming a growing line-up of impressive expert speakers.”

A presentation not to missed will be one from Tony Hanson managing director, Environmental Solutions International and Robin Price, director of quality and environment at Anglian Water. Geoff says: “Their paper on ‘Reducing the impact of future water restrictions on golf and sports turf’ is a timely subject as we deal with the results of climate change and approach drought restrictions in this country. Tony and Robin will look at the implications of temporary use bans and changes in water abstraction rulings, and how this will prevent turf irrigation in 2023 and the ways to implement water resilience practices.”

Tony Hanson explains the importance of this subject to the industry: “Due to climate change, population growth, and historically high personal consumption, there is simply not enough water available in the UK without action – the water sector will have to use demand management to ensure public supply. Turf irrigation must simply become less dependent on mains or direct irrigation abstraction.

“The Water Resilience Plan has been designed to guide users on what they

need to do and keep them informed of water industry funded seminars and workshops. If you irrigate turf you will need to review alternative water sources for irrigation, create water storage on site – water you control and can use in a drought to cover at least 21 days and review and assess your irrigation management and system.  I look forward to discussing all these elements at SALTEX.”

The SALTEX 2022 Learning LIVE schedule this year has been extended to over 30 sessions, with additional papers attacking the key issues for the grounds care industry of pay, career development, how to negotiate in the workplace and how to find out about the millions of pounds of grant funding available from sports clubs.

More information about the SALTEX 2022 Learning LIVE programme can be found on the event’s website at www.saltex.org.uk/learning-live. Free visitor registration is now open. Visit saltex.org.uk or register here.

Alongside the Learning LIVE programme visitors to SALTEX 2022 will be able to see over 400 industry brands in one place – all lining up the best products on offer for today’s growing needs. It also provides visitors with a great opportunity to network with industry colleagues and build new business relationships.

The show takes place at the conveniently central Birmingham NEC on 2-3 November.

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