In March, GNN reported on the attempt by teens to set a Guinness World Record for the most racquet sport balls recycled in a single day, and we’re happy to tell you: they pulled it off.
It took awhile, but last weekend a group of teen environmentalists from California collected about 22,000 mostly pickle and tennis balls—a haul weighing 2,675 pounds—and saw them trucked off to a special recycling facility.
Calling themselves Another Bounce, and working under the US-based 501(c)3 Habits of Waste, the teens hope to take a point off the 500 million tennis, pickle, and racquet balls sold, served, and tossed in the US every year.
Another Bounce focuses on collecting balls from LA-based clubs & parks and sending them to a specialized recycling facility, as well as advocating for manufacturers to consider end-of-life solutions for their products.
“This record is a powerful visual reminder of the enormous amount of waste generated by sports,” commented Habits of Waste founder Sheila Morovati, who landed in GNN’s headlines in 2018 for setting her own Guinness World Record for collecting over a million gently-used crayons to donate to 700 teachers.
“By diverting more than 20,000 balls from landfills, we’re showing what’s possible when we rethink the systems we’ve come to accept as the norm.”
Over the weekend of September 19th, student-athletes, families, local advocates, and community members turned out to donate used balls, with organizers offering free ice cream to every family or community member who donated a grocery bag full of balls, and free new pickleballs courtesy of Selkirk.
Experts believe that between 1 and 5% of tennis and padel balls avoid the landfill or incinerator. The ultimate destiny for the other 99 to 95% will either be a 400-year decomposition, or a big puff of greenhouse gas. GNN has reported on other efforts to divert this massive waste stream from global landfills, including through the use in bespoke furniture.
Collected balls from Another Bounce’s event will be turned into new balls and/or other sustainable materials, in partnership with recycling partner Ridwell.
TENNIS TALES: Wimbledon’s Unsung Hero is Rufus the Hawk (Video)
The recycled plastic is then used to create a variety of products. The pelletized post-consumer resin ends up in various commercial and industrial products like nursery plant pots, carpeting, plastic packaging, and more.
“I am so impressed with the work that they’re doing to remove these balls from the waste stream because the impacts of the trash, the plastic and the pollution on our environment, especially on our sensitive marine habitat, is so impactful,” said LA City Councilmember Traci Park, who was in attendance to root on the organization.
RECYCLING EVERYTHING: Leaving No Molecule Behind: ‘Landfill of the Future’ Turns Farming Waste Into Soaps, Compost, and Candles
Park wasn’t the only politician to cheer the young athletes for such sustainable sportsmanship. Malibu Mayor Bruce Silverstein invited the group to draft a city ordinance that would further their aim of seeing sports balls diverted from waste streams.
“I think it’s a great idea and I’d like to invite this group to prepare something. Actually prepare a draft legislation and present it to our staff so we can have an agenda item with the actual proposal.”
“Today marks the beginning of a much bigger movement for sustainability in sports, and I’m excited to continue working alongside these teens to advocate for city ordinances and infrastructure needed to create real change,” said Morovati.
SHARE This Great Story Of Teens Serving Their Community…