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.
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.
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 is one example of a company that currently recycles pickleballs, and has agreed to be our recycling partner. Ridwell shreds, washes, and pelletizes the balls, which are then shipped to their partner Merlin Plastics, which uses this used plastic in a variety of products.
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.
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.
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!
C. Wiebe (Habits of Waste Donation)
3000 31st St., Suite C
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Give your balls Another Bounce and help us set a world record!
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
A group of 12 high schoolers in Pacific Palisades, California, have launched a world-record attempt to recycle old tennis and pickleballs.
After learning that hundreds of millions of balls end up in landfills each year, these student-athletes created the “Another Bounce” campaign to collect and repurpose sports gear that usually takes centuries to decompose.
WeHo Paddle Wars Go 6-7, 6-7. Not *That* 6-7
Pickleball courts in West Hollywood are getting dedicated space for the first time, after the City Council voted 5-0 last week to convert two shared courts at Plummer Park to pickleball-only use.
While most teenagers are focused on homework and weekend plans, twelve high school students from the Pacific Palisades community are confronting a global environmental issue hiding in plain sight: the estimated 500 million non-biodegradable tennis and pickleballs discarded into landfills each year.
