Help Save the Planet and Don't Just Throw Out Those Cracked Pickleballs

Every day, pickleballers around the world toss another cracked or dead pickleball into the bin, not thinking twice about what happens to it afterward.

The problem is that pickleballs are made from a plastic which is incompatible with most recycling facilities. So, even if you "do the right thing" and toss it into a recycling bin, there's very little chance it will someday get a second life.

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A company called Orlando Advanced Pickleball is trying to fix that.

In Florida, OAP has placed special pickleball recycling bins across popular playing locations where players can drop their damaged and worn-out pickleballs. 

Dave John, founder of OAP, said, “We’re committed to ensuring pickleballs don’t end up in landfills, both for the sake of environmental responsibility and for the legacy we leave for future generations of pickleball enthusiasts.”

The organization plans on expanding its efforts to other parts of Florida, and it encourages players in the area to help by dropping off their balls in the special OAP bins. You can find out more about the organization on Instagram.

To date, the company has recycled more than 125 pounds of pickleballs. At less than one ounce per pickleball, we're talking about a few thousand pickleballs successfully recycled. 

Or about the same number of Vulcan balls stomped on at a PPA event.