Introducing
This initiative was created & led by student athletes who care deeply about sports & our planet.
An initiative of
Another Bounce recycles tennis and pickleballs to create a more sustainable future for the game. Why? An estimated 500 million balls get thrown out, sometimes after just hours of play.
Another Bounce was featured in…
The Problem
Racquet ball waste is a big problem. Clubs go through hundreds of balls in a week, as they quickly “go flat” and lose their bounce. Rather than recycle them, most balls just get thrown away.
Over 500 million tennis balls and pickle balls are produced and sold each year, and most are either sent to landfills or incinerated after use (UN RIC, CBS News).
In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that 125 million tennis balls go into landfills annually (Stanford), and that only about 1% of all tennis balls produced are recycled (UN RIC). Other industry estimates suggest that 95% of all balls produced go into landfills or are incinerated (Bounce Sports).
Once thrown away, balls can take 400+ years to decompose due to their rubber components (Bounce Back Recycle).
Our Solution
We need to change our habits of waste around tennis balls and racquet balls.
Rather than throw used balls in the trash, let’s start collections at clubs and parks, and get them recycled, instead.
We are collecting balls from LA-based clubs & parks and sending them to a specialized recycling facility, demonstrating that end-of-life solutions do exist and changing the norms around “trash.”
We are also asking ball companies to do their part and create end-of-life solutions for their products, rather than adding to our global waste problem or asking consumers and municipalities to take responsibility.
Recycling Options
Pickleballs can easily be recycled, and despite the rubber components of tennis balls, there are recycling options for them too.
Ridwell will help by collecting and consolidating pickleballs. They will send balls off to their trusted downstream recycling partners, who will either turn them into new pickleballs, or shred, wash, and pelletize them to be turned into plastic feedstock. By helping to collect materials not typically accepted by curbside recyclers, Ridwell allows grassroots projects, like Another Bounce, to get their material recycled efficiently and sustainably!
About Us
This initiative was created and is led by the Habits of Waste Junior Board, composed of 12 student athletes in LA county, representing six high schools.
We care deeply about sports & our planet, and believe we have the responsibility to take action and reduce waste. Sports should be a part of the conversation, too!
Take Action
You can make a difference by helping to collect used pickleballs and tennis balls, and asking companies to be responsible for their ball waste.
Start a Ball Collection
You can take action by starting a collection for used pickleballs and/or tennis balls at your local park or club! We are now accepting tennis and pickleballs to our warehouse!
Another Bounce (c/o Habits of Waste)
SPACES 2450 Colorado Ave, Suite 100E Santa Monica, CA 90404
BALLS MUST ARRIVE BY AUGUST 31, 2026!
Give your balls Another Bounce and help us set a world record!
Send An Email
Make your voice heard! Let’s ask ball companies to take responsibility and do their part to ensure that the end-of-life of their product is incorporated into their business model.
Rather than creating more waste, ball companies should provide recycling and take-back options to repurpose old balls giving them Another Bounce.
Simply add your name to the email below and we will send it to officials at Dunlop, Vulcan, Penn, Wilson, Selkirk, and Franklin.
Ambassador Program
The Another Bounce Ambassador Program trains the next generation of young environmental leaders to bring sustainability and zero waste programs into their own communities.
Based on the principle that collective action starts with small change at home, the Another Bounce Ambassador Program trains young people to initiate and lead change in their communities to reduce unnecessary ball waste in racquet sports.
Why Become an Ambassador?
Ambassadors learn to take action, and are given the tools to do so. Ambassadors will lead their own ball collection initiatives in their local schools, clubs, and/or parks, ship balls to Another Bounce HQ and start their own recycling programs, lead email campaigns, and initiate changes to their own local city ordinances.
Ambassadors will also receive materials to lead successful campaigns in their own communities, including outreach templates, campaign logos, a press kit, email scripts and pitches, ball collection signs, and more.
Press
LA County students helping the planet by recycling tennis and pickleballs
April 22, 2026
Got a used tennis or pickleball? These LA-area teens want to recycle them for a world record attempt
March 11, 2026
This initiative was created & is led by student athletes who care deeply about sports & our planet.
An initiative of
Another Bounce recycles tennis and pickleballs to create a more sustainable future for the game.
We are a group of 13 students athletes based in LA County representing six high schools. We believe that we all have a responsibility to protect our planet and that sports should be part of the conversation too.
We have solutions to help make tennis and pickleball more sustainable.
The Problem
An estimated 500 million tennis & pickle balls are thrown away each year due to limited recycling options.
Racquet ball waste is a big problem. Clubs go through hundreds of balls in a week, as they quickly “go flat” and lose their bounce. Rather than recycle them, most balls just get thrown away.
Over 500 million tennis balls and pickle balls are produced and sold each year, and most are either sent to landfills or incinerated after use (UN RIC, CBS News).
In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that 125 million tennis balls go into landfills annually (Stanford), and that only about 1% of all tennis balls produced are recycled (UN RIC). Other industry estimates suggest that 95% of all balls produced go into landfills or are incinerated (Bounce Sports).
Once thrown away, balls can take 400+ years to decompose due to their rubber components (Bounce Back Recycle).
The Solution
We are collecting balls from LA based clubs & parks and sending them to a specialized recycling facility here in LA, demonstrating that end-of-life solutions do exist changing the norms around “trash.”
We are also asking ball companies to do their part and create end-of-life solutions for their products, rather than adding to our global waste problem or asking consumers and municipalities to take responsibility.
Pickleballs can easily be recycled, and despite the rubber components of tennis balls, there are recycling options for them, too.
Make your voice heard today
Join us by emailing ball companies asking them for an upcycling program:
Donate today!
Give your Balls Another Bounce and help us set a world record!
We are accepting tennis and pickles balls nationally to our warehouse!
C. Wiebe (Habits of Waste Donation)
3000 31st St., Suite C
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Join Our Ambassador Program
Do you want to start your own ball collection campaign? We are recruiting Another Bounce Ambassadors to join us! We welcome high school and university students to apply.
What is the Ambassador Program?
The Another Bounce Ambassador Program trains the next generation of young environmental leaders to bring sustainability and zero waste programs into their own communities.
Based on the principle that collective action starts with small change at home, the Another Bounce Ambassador Program trains young people to initiate and lead change in their communities to reduce unnecessary ball waste in racquet sports.
Why Become an Ambassador?
Ambassadors learn to take action, and are given the tools to do so. Ambassadors will lead their own ball collection initiatives in their local schools, clubs, and/or parks, ship balls to Another Bounce HQ and start their own recycling programs, lead email campaigns, and initiate changes to their own local city ordinances.
Ambassadors will receive monthly trainings with Habits of Waste staff, including a kick-off meeting and periodic check-ins. Ambassadors will also receive materials to lead successful campaigns in their own communities, including outreach templates, campaign logos, a press kit, email scripts and pitches, ball collection signs, and more.
Ambassadors & Volunteers: Are They Different?
Ambassadors and Volunteers are different. The Ambassador Program is specifically designed to train young people to become changemakers in their own communities. We provide materials for them to successfully start their own ball collections, promote recycling programs, and initiate local policy changes. We provide training based upon our own experience creating successful collective change. Ambassadors will meet with Habits of Waste staff to receive specialized training and support during the program period.
Volunteers are just as important, but they can be anyone of any age, and can help out on a variety of distinct tasks, from setting up ball collections and picking up balls, to helping at our local events in LA, and more. If you are interested in volunteering, reach out today!
Apply Today!
To apply to the Ambassador Program, please click the link below to complete the application. Responses and invitations to join the Ambassador Program will be sent out after May 25, 2026. The Ambassador Program will begin in June 2026 and run through September 2026.
Press Coverage
Santa Monica Daily Press
LAist
Good News Network
Palisades News
About Habits of Waste
Habits of Waste leverages human behavior and social dynamics to create accessible and innovative climate solutions while creating societal change to big problems. HOW’s work has been credited with diverting over 3 billion pieces of single-use plastic cutlery from entering the waste stream. Sheila Morovati is the founder and CEO of the organization and she is leading this group of Junior Board members alongside Director of Programs and Development, Lisa Leombruni PhD, and Chief of Staff Jasmine Resendiz.