Tennis balls might come out of the can yellow, but at Tennis Express, we want to them to GO GREEN! Which is why we put stickers like these on every case of balls we send to customers.
Did you know that tennis is one of the most wasteful sports on the planet? Every year, millions of used tennis balls are discarded into the trash. They make their way to overflowing landfills and spend 400 years decomposing. Combined, they emit more than 20,000 metric tons of methane waste, and for some tennis balls, their lifespan is less than three sets.
At Tennis Express we want to help save the planet by educating athletes on how to they can recycle.
We work in collaboration with RecycleBalls.org, a non-profit organization that collects and converts used tennis balls into eco-friendly products such as animal footing, traffic safety equipment, and even a new hybrid tennis court surface.
Recycling is EASY!
Start by using tennis balls as long as you can. If you open a fresh can for a match, consider using the balls again during practice or to run drills. Think of creative ways you can reuse tennis balls.
Next, collect used tennis balls and donate them to one or more of the following:
- Area schools with tennis teams
- Community tennis centers, clubs, and parks
- Retirement communities
- Local animal shelters
- Recycleballs.org
Tennis Express customers can use any box to collect used tennis balls. Once the box is filled with 100 or more used balls, go to Get Instant Label and follow the few easy steps to get your shipping label. Tape up your box, attached the label, and drop it at any UPS store near you. It will be shipped directly to the Recycle Balls headquarters in Vermont, and they’ll take it from there.
Recycle Balls has some massive machines that mechanically remove the felt exterior, then shreds the rubber interior into tiny crumbs. These rubber crumbs or mulch are used to make “green” products. Together we have helped divert almost 10 million used tennis balls from landfills, and we’re just getting started!
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