USTA Making Strides For More Environmentally Aware U.S. Open

The USTA at this year's U.S. Open is offering "gentle pointers" on how to make the event "a little less wasteful," according to Jennifer Smith of NEWSDAY. There are "pink recycling bins for plastic water bottles, and $40 'Green Your Game' organic cotton T-shirts and $5 reusable tote bags for sale." In addition, a PSA from Billie Jean King "encourages fans to take the train or bus" to the tournament, while tennis balls used in competition "will be reused on site for 12 months, then donated to schools and hospitals." The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center uses "wind-generated electricity, concession napkins made from 90[%] post-consumer waste," and the venue next year will seek "green certification" (NEWSDAY, 8/28). In N.Y., Wayne Coffey notes the U.S. Open is tennis' "only wind-powered Grand Slam." All of the "estimated 2,000 megawatt hours of energy that will be consumed during the Open will come from wind" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/28).