Princeton Tennis Program To Recycle Thousands Of Used Tennis Balls

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton Tennis Program (PTP) announces that it has entered into an agreement with RecycleBalls of South Burlington, Vermont, for a pilot program to recycle thousands of used tennis balls that are typically discarded into the trash.

Every year, PTP, like any other tennis organization, disposes of thousands of used tennis balls into the trash. They make their way to overflowing landfills and could take hundreds of years to decompose and emit tons of carbon-based waste into the atmosphere waste.

Because of this, PTP is now collaborating with RecycleBalls, a nonprofit organization that collects and converts used tennis balls into eco-friendly products such as new hybrid tennis court surfaces, traffic safety equipment, dog toys, and even soft, animal-friendly foot surfaces.

RecycleBalls, in its partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods, will provide specially marked recycling boxes to collect balls at the Eve Kraft Community Tennis Center on Washington Road where they are then shipped to a processing center. (PTP already recycles several thousand empty tennis ball cans annually, in cooperation with the Hamilton Township Ecological Center and other local recycling centers). If successful, there are plans to expand the collection of used tennis balls at Community Park in Princeton and Veterans Park in Hamilton.

"One of the core values of PTP is community involvement and with this pilot program, we are adding sustainability to our mission," said Stephanie Howard, PTP Tennis Director.

"We want PTP to be an environmental model for other tennis organizations in the region," added Amy Stivala, PTP General Manager.

PTP is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community tennis organization whose motto is “Tennis for All.” It promotes participation and affordable accessibility to tennis throughout central New Jersey via school outreach programs, scholarships, adult and junior tennis lessons in Princeton, West Windsor, and Hamilton Township, in addition to support for autism tennis and special needs programs.