Industry-led national recycling program TreadLightly has launched a new sports ball recycling program, aimed at reducing the millions of sports balls that end up in landfill each year.
About 330 million balls are produced worldwide each year, most of which will eventually end up in landfill where they can take more than 400 years to decompose.
Powered by the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA), the TreadLightly recycling program will include collection points for discarded sports balls at participating Rebel stores and sports clubs across Australia.
The collected balls will be shredded and reusable components, including rubber, leather and fibres, extracted to be recycled into sustainable products such as rubber mats and retail flooring.
TreadLightly will work with leading sports retailers and manufacturers on the project, including Tennis Australia, Rebel Sport, Nike, Wilson, Dunlop, Sherrin and Spalding.
Since its establishment in 2021, TreadLightly has successfully recycled more than one million sports shoes, and has more than 900 collection points across Australia.
The sports ball program (formerly Game On Recycling) has collected 35 tonnes of tennis balls, rackets and inflatable sports balls since 2022. ASGA has taken over operation of Game On Recycling as part of the TreadLightly initiative.
Shaun Bajada, Executive Director, ASGA said it is great to work closely with leading sports retailers and manufacturers to help reduce the impact of sport in Australia.
“I’m proud of how the sporting goods sector has worked together to find a responsible end-of-life solution for the millions of balls that end up in landfill every year,” he said.
“As part of our commitment to sustainability, we try to prioritise donation wherever possible, aiming for a 20 per cent donation rate.
“This ensures that sports balls are ending up where they are needed most to foster community engagement and promote active lifestyles nationwide.”
Bajada urges everyone who loves sport to look around their homes for unused sports balls.
“If you have them recycle them rather than throwing them in the bin where they would eventually contribute to landfill,” he said.
For more information, https://treadlightly.asga.com.au/sports-balls/
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