US Open balls will make next year’s courts
New partnership between RecycleBalls and Laykold will help to off-set the carbon equivalent of 26,000 cars
Every tennis fan will be familiar with the call for ‘new balls please’. But what about the old balls? What happens to them? And why does this present such a huge challenge for tennis?
Figures from The World Bank show that in 2023, over 150 million tennis balls were imported into the USA alone. These balls quickly make their way to landfill and take over 400 years to decompose. Each tennis ball weighs about 2 ounces but carries an outsized carbon footprint of 1.2 pounds. Every year that’s more than 19,250,000 pounds of tennis balls with the carbon equivalent of 26,000 cars being driven for a full year. This carries a significant environmental impact that demands innovative solutions.
Creating the world’s greenest tennis court
In answer to this significant challenge. RecycleBalls, the leader in tennis ball collection and reuse, and Laykold, the world’s number one court brand, have partnered to transform tennis’ environmental performance. The strategic alliance brings together RecycleBalls' expertise in collecting and repurposing used tennis balls with Laykold's cutting-edge surfacing technology to create the world’s greenest tennis surface. With RecycleBalls’ 10,000 facilities, tournaments and volunteers committed to making the initiative possible, and Laykold’s largest installation network in the US and globally, the environmental benefit of the collaboration is set to spread from the game’s biggest stages to tennis clubs and communities around the world.
From old balls to new courts. The power of a circular economy.
RecycleBalls has been committed to reducing the environmental impact of discarded tennis balls, taking a circular approach to extend their life. They’ve developed an international collection network and community that has repurposed more than 14 million tennis balls. With this partnership, RecycleBalls and Laykold are leading the charge in revolutionizing how tennis balls are recycled and how tennis court surfaces are constructed. By integrating recycled tennis balls into Laykold’s industry-leading court systems, this partnership exemplifies the power of a circular economy—where waste is not merely disposed of but transformed into a valuable resource.
A win for player performance and planet from the US Open and beyond
Laykold has established itself as a global leader in advanced sports surfacing, recognized for its high-quality and durable court systems and trusted at the highest levels of competition including the US Open. RecycleBalls has been collecting US Open tournament balls since Laykold became the official surface of the tournament in 2020, and as the 2024 tournament rolls out, the initiative will continue to ensure that old Grand Slam balls will become the community courts of tomorrow.
The collaboration with RecycleBalls marks a new era in sustainable sports infrastructure delivering eco-friendly surfaces that maintain the superior quality, playability and durability Laykold is known for while keeping tennis balls and tennis players in the game.
“By combining Laykold’s superior surface technology with RecycleBalls’ innovative recycling processes and international collection network, the tennis surfaces, which will include up to 10,000 recycled balls per court, will not only be environmentally responsible but also offer exceptional playability and resilience.”
Sport Group backing drives sustainable impact
As part of Sport Group, the world’s largest sports surface business and a global leader in ESG within the industry, Laykold’s move is part of a broader corporate commitment to environmental sustainability.
As Dave Wheaton, Laykold’s Director of Sales explains;
“The environment is the most pressing sustainability issue of our time. Our partnership with RecycleBalls is an important part of our investment focus on bio-based and renewable ingredients, carbon reduction and recycling.”
“Giving a second life to old tennis balls and keeping them within the courts themselves is an innovation we’re incredibly proud to be championing.”
A sustainable rallying cry for the sports industry
Erin Cunningham, CEO of RecycleBalls, has an ambitious vision which the partnership supports;
"Laykold is an extraordinary partner. When RecycleBalls faced our biggest challenge—finding a sustainable outlet for recycled tennis balls—Laykold stepped up with their signature innovation and unwavering commitment to quality. Together, we’ve not only overcome obstacles but are now poised for exponential impact. Looking ahead, I envision a world where recycling sports equipment is the norm, and every ball stays in the game, finding new life on the very courts we play on.”
This partnership is more than just a business venture—it’s a call to action for the entire sports industry. It demonstrates how innovative partnerships can propel sports in leading the way in embracing sustainable practices and minimizing environmental impact.
Find out more about RecycleBalls here: Recycleballs.org – Yellow is the New Green
Find out more about Laykold and the US Open here: US Open — Laykold - Official Surface of the US Open.
*Sources:
Each ball represents an average carbon footprint of 0,58 kg CO₂-eq (EcoChain, 2023).
In 2022, that's 242,231,625 pounds of carbon - the equivalent of driving over 26,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles for one year. (https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator#results)