California Teens Turn Used Sports Balls Into a Recycling Victory
A group of California teens has given thousands of worn-out sports balls a fresh purpose—and set a Guinness World Record along the way. During a collection drive over the weekend of September 19, their initiative, Another Bounce, gathered about 22,000 balls weighing 2,675 pounds. Most were used pickleballs and tennis balls.
Student-athletes, families and neighbors helped fill the collection bins. Organizers thanked people who brought a grocery bag full of balls with free ice cream, while Selkirk provided new pickleballs. The collected balls were sent for specialized recycling through partner Ridwell, where they can become new balls or materials for other products.
Another Bounce, which operates under the nonprofit Habits of Waste, regularly collects used balls from Los Angeles-area clubs and parks. The teens also want sports-equipment makers to plan for what happens to their products after the final game.
“By diverting more than 20,000 balls from landfills, we’re showing what’s possible when we rethink the systems we’ve come to accept as the norm,” said Habits of Waste founder Sheila Morovati.
The team’s work is inspiring support beyond the court. Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park attended the event, and Malibu Mayor Bruce Silverstein invited the teens to draft a proposed city ordinance to help keep sports balls out of the waste stream. For Another Bounce, the record is a wonderful milestone—and a chance to build lasting change.
