ON A MISSION
To recycle all tennis balls in the USA
RecycleBalls is an innovative, youth-driven 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization with a mission to recycle every tennis ball in the United States! We began in Vermont in 2016 and the tremendous success of our pilot program has allowed us to expand nationwide and help individuals and facilities leverage the lessons we’ve learned in adopting these proven processes.
We’re not your typical nonprofit. We’re applying best practices from manufacturing and distribution to achieve our goals quickly and efficiently. The shared nature of our mission has inspired people of every age to get involved. A growing network of partners and individuals are spearheading a first-of-its-kind positive change for U.S. tennis by their example and are ensuring that tennis in the U.S. will become a green sport.
20,000,000
Tennis balls recyled
10,000
Network Partners
120,000
Active collection Bins
1,600,000
Tennis Players Recycling Tennis Balls
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RecycleBalls?
RecycleBalls is a networked collection solution:
1. We are the first organization in U.S. tennis history with a large scale collection solution for all played tennis balls in this country.
2. Our patented no-cost QUICKSHIP bin/program is the simplest way for individuals and facilities around the nation to recycle tennis balls. Not only does the program provide pre-paid shipping but in addition provides a tax donation for every ball donated.
RecycleBalls is a full recycling solution:
1. We created RecycleBalls Green Gold in 2017. This unique crumb rubber product, made from tennis balls, can be easily incorporated into many existing processes and effectively allows the recycling of every tennis ball donated.
2. This rubber product was the result of developing a process that removes 99% of the felt from tennis balls in a cost-effective manner.
3. The first products made with RecycleBall’s Green Gold were created this year with new strategic partners. Our intention is to recycle all donated balls towards green solutions and products that could potentially improve lives.
Why is tennis so wasteful?
Tennis players recognize a significant environmental problem and agree that U.S. tennis players need to change their habits and recycle their tennis balls.
Typically, tennis players rarely play with a can of balls more than once or twice because of the quick decline in pressure and the lack of consistency compared to that provided by new balls. Nationwide, approximately 125 million used tennis balls wind up in America’s landfills every year. That is 20,000 metric tons of methane-producing,near non-decomposable rubber waste!
Why have tennis balls not been recycled in the U.S. until now?
– There has been no formalized collection program/solution to date that is sustainable and nationally scalable.
– Without a formalized, scalable collection program that provided a significant ongoing supply of tennis balls, recycling efforts have not been able to universally materialize.
Are there any global role models?
Yes. Along with our network, France is also leading the way internationally with “Operation Jaune,” a government-sponsored commitment to recycling all tennis balls in that country. This effort continues to grow and make a difference. It has received international acclaim by players and pros alike.
What can we do in this country?
Tennis players want to do what is right environmentally and would recycle all of their balls if there were available courtside recycling bins where they play. Organizations want to be part of the solution, but there needs to be a return of value that reflects well on their brand without increasing expenses. In short, there needs to be a cost-effective, universally adopted initiative to collect, recycle and publicize a solution that will keep all tennis balls out of U.S. landfills and recycle these into green products.
Our Team
Founder
Derrick is a thought-leader who has brought his success from 30 years in manufacturing, distribution, and management to the RecycleBalls mission. He believes that for green innovations to be successful, they must have two central components: first, they must be practical, and second, they must create models for positive change. RecycleBalls was established on these two principles and seeks to work at every level of the sport to bring about the mission of recycling all tennis balls in the country.
Client Success Manager
Jeremy is a Client Success Manager dedicated to working with tennis players and facilities across the country and helping to make tennis a green sport. Prior to joining Recycleballs, Jeremy worked in New York as community support specialist in the tech industry and as a planning analyst for a record label. He loves living in Burlington and being part of the Vermont community. In his free time, Jeremy performs standup and sketch comedy.
Systems Specialist
David has been with RecycleBalls from the start and has been instrumental in developing the many integrated systems that define the QUICKSHIP experience. Dave created the unique inventory tracking processes as well as most of the functionality in an extensive customer retention management system. Besides delivering superb systems/infrastructure solutions, Dave is also involved in local theater and serves on the board of the Vermont Green Building Network.
Co-Founder
Ryan has been managing the Vermont operations of RecycleBalls for the last two years with great success. As part of the early business development effort, Ryan spoke to many players, facilities managers and pros about the need to recycle. The enthusiastic response to the idea fueled early efforts within the organization to quickly develop a practical solution. Those efforts led directly to the creation of the patent-pending QUICKSHIP recycle bin, which has met with great success.
Ambassador
Jason Mandel is a rising tennis player student at Beverly Hills High School in California. Jason has established partners with several facilities and provided them with our QUICKSHIP program. His dedication and tenacity have already resulted in the recycling of 10,000’s of tennis balls! He’s determined to exceed expectations and attend a top-ranked university in 2021 and major in entrepreneurship. We could not be prouder to have Jason as a model for other aspiring Ambassadors.
Ambassador
Tessa majored in environmental studies and started working at Sand Point Tennis Center in Seattle, Washington, after she graduated, which is when she realized just how wasteful the sport is. Tessa started working with RecycleBalls this past summer and has already prevented over 20,000 tennis balls from ending up in US landfills! And she’s not stopping there. Tessa also worked with Nike to start a collection process for their shoe recycling program. We are so happy to have Tessa as an Ambassador.