US Open Proudly Continues Tradition Of Being Green

The US Open partnered with environmental consultant eco evolutions in 2008 in an effort to reduce emissions and waste. Since then, greenhouse-gas emissions from the annual tennis tournament held in New York City have been reduced by 94,000 metric tons and more than 4,000 tons of waste have been diverted from landfills.

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – home to the US Open – recently underwent a five-year, $600 million facelift, culminating in the opening of the new Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The 14,000-seat facility, equipped with a retractable roof similar to the one atop Arthur Ashe Stadium, debuted at the 2018 US Open in Flushing, New York. While the renovations to the grounds improved the home of the annual grand slam event, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) also kept the environment as a top priority during the facelift.

Named after the iconic jazz musician who spent nearly half his life in Queens, Louis Armstrong Stadium is taking the steps toward becoming the third LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building at the National Tennis Center, joining the Grandstand Stadium and US Open Transportation Building. The first naturally ventilated stadium in the world to have a retractable roof was designed to consume 28 percent less energy and uses 42 percent less water. More than 95 percent of the waste from the demolition of the stadium’s first incarnation was recycled.

The green initiatives surrounding the new stadium don’t stop there. The USTA reduced water usage on landscaping around the stadium, used recycled materials and low-emitting paints and finishes in its construction and is composting and recycling to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Louis Armstrong Stadium continues a decade-long effort by the USTA to make the US Open environmentally friendly. The US Open celebrated the 11th year of its green initiative program in 2018. Since working with environmental consultant eco evolutions, the tournament has reduced its greenhouse-gas emissions by 94,000 metric tons, and more than 4,000 tons of waste generated during the two-week event have been diverted from landfills. Approximately 600 tons of food waste have been converted into nutrient-rich compost for gardens and farms, while more than 100 tons of food have been donated to local communities.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.