The 2009 US Open is underway. But before you start debating whether or not Roger Federer can pull out another win or which Williams sister will last longer, check out how this year’s tournament is going for a grand slam in the green department. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have teamed up to make the event eco-friendly and help raise awareness with over 700,000 spectators.

Last year, several green initiatives were put into place and this year, the US Open is even greener. One of the biggest sources of waste for the sport are all those Wilson tennis balls and tennis ball cans, which are made up of four different materials. This year the 60,000 tennis balls will be reused for National Tennis Center programming and later donated to community and youth programs. About 18,000 to 20,000 of the tricky-to-recycle ball cans will be saved from landfills.

Eco-friendly US Open merchandise will be available, too, including the organic cotton t-shirt designed by Venus Williams (shown above) and hats made from 50% recycled plastic soda bottles. US Open shopping bags will be made for reuse with the words “recycled and reuse” printed on the bottom, or you can be a real reusable tote for $5.

And the green initiatives list goes on and on: 100% of the games are powered by wind, 2.4 million napkins in the concession area will contain 90 percent post-consumer waste, two kitchens will introduce a pilot composting program, utensils will be made from bio-based materials, cooking oil will be used later for biodiseal fuel and the NRDC will give away 50,000 eco-friendly tip wallet cards to fans.

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