Leisure Media Issue 3 2009 - Leisure Opportunities

As part of its work with the leisure sector, WRAP also supports Coca-Cola Enterprises’ RecycleZone programme, which has provided bins to Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor and ChessingtonWorld of Adventures to make recycling easy for visitors. Recycle Zones at other visitor attractionsare in the pipeline, according to WRAP packaging programme manager Claire ShrewsburyWhat’s the most successfulsport and leisure project you’vebeen involved with recently?Monifieth Golf Links in Scotland, wherethey used green waste on their fairwaysand greens. We’ve heard from the greenkeeperthat he’s used less fertiliser, he’sgot good growth, and there’s an elementof disease suppression as well.So there are benefits for operators asopposed to just for the environment?Yes, it’s a good, environmentally-sustainable material, and allthe guys in the sports turf and restoration industry are lookingfor a sustainable solution, but there are some cost benefits aswell, so it’s a win-win situation.We would have a hard job if we were saying it’s a sustainablematerial but actually it’s going to cost you a little bit more.But if you display, as we did at Monefieth golf course, that youcan save on digestates and fertilisers, these guys know they’regoing to be saving quite a bit of money, especially in this agewhere the price of oil-based fertilisers is still really high.What we’ve found now is that we need to get outthere more and communicate this message, andthat’s probably the phase we’re going into next.Awareness is relatively low, but that’s not becausepeople are reluctant to use these practicesHow receptive has the sector been to your initiative?We’ve found that generally these guys are open. But what theyhave to do is prove it on the ground. So it’s our job to communicatethese benefits to the guys that use it, and then help themdemonstrate it. We fund demonstration trials where we maywork with one organisation but invite other organisations to lookat the results and then publish the results within the trade.Are these green practices catching on in the sector?It’s starting to be used more widely. It was WRAP’s job to getthe results from these trials so that we can actually show themthe benefit, and what we’ve found now is that we need to getout there more and communicate this message, and that’sprobably the phase we’re going into next. Awareness is relativelylow at the moment, but that’s not because people arereluctant to use these practises.What should operators do if they’reinterested in working with you?In the first instance look at our website, www.wrap.org.uk –watch the website, as we hold workshops and training events. ●ISSUE 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 61