Green, sustainable practices at U.S. Open

Tennis players competing at the U.S. Open are among the best on Earth, but their 2.2 million miles of travel to and from the tournament haven't been easy on the planet. Until now.

As part of the tournament's expanding efforts to go "green," travel-related emissions have been matched with carbon offsets purchased by a Norwalk, Conn., energy company.

"We estimated and calculated player travel to the Open from all over the world, in the air and also on the ground," said Lauren Kittelstad, a United States Tennis Association senior manager.

The push toward carbon-neutrality is one of several new projects under the Open's 5-year-old environmental initiative aimed at employees, players and the 700,000 fans flocking to the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens.

The quest for sustainability isn't easy.

At the tournament this week, parking lots were packed with spectators' cars, and fans were seen carrying plastic souvenir bags and tossing plastic bottles straight into the trash.

But more fans than ever are opting for mass transit, with 60 percent arriving by Long Island Rail Road or the No. 7 train last year compared with 30 percent in 2001, officials said.

About 350,000 plastic bottles were recycled last year compared with less than 50,000 in 2008, officials said.

The 26,000 credential-holding lanyards currently being used by employees, media, police, VIP fans and others were mementos from the last Open.

"We were able to take the tennis ball cans from 2011 and make the lanyards," Kittelstad said.

From the tennis center's kitchens, about 12,000 gallons of food grease will be converted to biodiesel fuel, and more than 100 tons of waste composted this year, officials said.

In the Food Village, a new addition -- Farm2Fork -- emphasizes local, organic ingredients in sandwiches and other dishes.

"People really do eat here because it's local and it's healthy," said Jamillah Simmons, 39, of the Bronx, working Wednesday at the stand. "People feel good about what they eat."

Cami Boehme, of Viridian Energy, the company securing carbon offsets this year for Serena Williams, Roger Federer and other players, said part of ensuring a green future is being realistic.

"You can change your behavior. There are things we all can do," said Boehme, the company's senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy. "But especially in the corporate world, you can't always reduce your usage and impact. . . . We can work to offset that as much as possible."