Waste Free Greenwich

recycle balls

Yellow is the new green

Nationwide, approximately 125 million used tennis balls - or 20,000 metric tons - wind up in America’s incinerators and landfills every year.

In response, Waste Free Greenwich and Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board encourage tennis clubs, schools and other organizations and individuals to participate in the RecycleBalls program to divert this material from our waste stream.

RecycleBalls is a 501(C)3 that repurposes balls or recycles them into new court surfaces. RecycleBalls will provide collection boxes to be placed on each court, and full boxes are picked up by UPS.  Some of the tennis balls are ground up, and the felt is separated from the rubber. Other balls are sold and reused as dog balls. The rubber crumb, or Green Gold, is used in the construction of tennis courts, horse footing and hopefully soon, with more R&D, a variety of green products. The program is free, and the application process is easy.  Participating organizations receive an annual tax deduction receipt.  

As of October 2019, 19,600 balls were sent to RecycleBalls from local participants  - the equivalent of 2,450 lbs.  A big thank you to Greenwich High School, Innis Arden Golf Club, Old Greenwich Tennis Academy, Belle Haven Club, Millbrook Club and Round Hill Club.

Interested in participating? Email wastefreegreenwich@gmail.com