A new sustainability initiative has launched at Oregon State University to address an often overlooked environmental issue, tennis ball waste!
After playing tennis for over six years, Brandon Gill (second year OSU student) noticed that many tennis facilities he has used throughout his life had tennis ball recycling receptacles. He found it frustrating to throw away used tennis balls that no longer met the standards for regular play. With over 100 million tennis balls ending up in U.S. landfills each year, the impact is substantial.
As an Eco Rep, Brandon saw an opportunity to make a difference. He began researching ways to reduce tennis ball waste and came across RecycleBalls.org, a nonprofit organization that offers an easy and accessible way to collect and recycle used tennis balls. Their collection bins are already in use at hundreds of tennis facilities across the country.
Brandon proposed this project through the Sustainability Council and after receiving approval from Rec Sports, RecycleBalls bins have been installed at the Tennis Pavilion near Dixon Recreation Center. These bins are now available for players to drop off their used and “dead” tennis balls instead of tossing them in the trash.
Although the project is mainly run by Brandon, the long-term goal is to integrate it into the OSU Tennis Club. He is drafting a set of responsibilities and proposing the creation of a new officer position within the club to ensure this initiative continues after he graduates.
Students and tennis players can help make a difference by opting to recycle tennis balls and use more sustainable balls such as Wilson’s Triniti tennis balls which have fully recyclable cardboard “cans”. Regular tennis ball cans are not recyclable in Corvallis, even though the packaging may claim otherwise.
To learn more about tennis ball recycling, view this video!
CATEGORIES: Uncategorized