In a world where many teenagers are busy with homework and weekend fun, a group of twelve high school students from Pacific Palisades is tackling an urgent environmental challenge. Each year, approximately 500 million non-biodegradable tennis and pickleballs end up in landfills, and these students are determined to change that.
They have initiated a project called Another Bounce with the ambitious aim of breaking a World Record for the highest number of racquet sports balls collected for recycling. This exciting campaign will conclude with a collection event on Earth Day, April 19.
To make this vision a reality, the group has teamed up with Ridwell in Los Angeles. Ridwell specializes in shredding, washing, and pelletizing the discarded balls, which are then sent to their partner, Merlin Plastics. The innovative process transforms these old balls into recycled plastic, which is repurposed into various products, including nursery plant pots, carpeting, and plastic packaging.
Additionally, they collaborate with a Florida-based organization called Bounce Back Pickle, which utilizes the recycled plastic to manufacture new pickleballs—helping to prevent landfill waste that can take centuries to break down.
The students are on a mission to promote a circular economy for tennis and pickleballs, similar to initiatives seen in the electronics industry, where manufacturers create take-back programs for their products. They have joined forces with the California nonprofit Habits of Waste as the new ‘Junior Board’ and have launched a public email campaign urging major ball manufacturers like Penn, Wilson, Franklin, Dunlop, and Selkirk to adopt circular business practices, including national take-back programs.
“Youth leadership is one of the most powerful forces for change,” says Sheila Morovati, the founder of Habits of Waste, who previously made headlines for her own Guinness World Record achievement of collecting over a million gently-used crayons for teachers in need.
Among the passionate members of this team is Sheila’s son Leo, a varsity tennis player, along with Ford Casady, the top-ranked Junior Pickleball Player nationally (U18), and his brother Boone, who completes their #1 US Junior Doubles Team (18U).
After noticing bins overflowing with discarded balls at courts throughout Southern California, these student athletes decided it was time for action. “We play the sport, we see the waste, and we aren’t waiting for adults to fix it,” the group stated, having initially united while supporting their community in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire.
In addition to collecting balls within a 30-mile radius of Pacific Palisades and accepting nationwide shipped donations, the students are actively participating in City Council meetings across Beverly Hills, Burbank, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Los Angeles. They are advocating for new ordinances that would require parks, schools, and private clubs to recycle tennis and pickleballs.
Excitingly, they now have a warehouse in Santa Monica where community members can contribute to this remarkable initiative!
