Linear waste is over. No balls to dump!

The DS Smith team in Czech Republic is supporting Dropp Vít Gloser, a company transforming, and valorizing used tennis balls. Our designers invented a collection box with an outstanding display where used balls are handed in.

Did you know that a tennis ball has a lifespan of only two hours when played by a professional player and twenty hours when used for recreational tennis? In Europe every year 71 million tennis balls are used up and then end up in the trash 

More sustainable and circular practices are now expanding to every aspect of society even though when playing tennis, there are solutions to minimize our impact. DS Smith decided to support the sustainable management of used balls. Tennis is a traditional and noble sport, but it can also have a negative impact on our planet. Indeed, after being worn balls are then dumped. This generates a huge loss without valorizing the waste. DS Smith Packaging Czech Republic is therefore happy to join the initiative of Dropp Vít Gloser, which aims to reduce the negative impact of used tennis balls and accessories on the environment as much as possible. 

The aim is to devise, sort, and apply circular solutions so that used balls are recycled and not just consumed and wasted. What is applied here are the circular economy principles. 

Because we have the circular economy in our blood, our designers invented a collection box with an outstanding display where used balls are handed in. Once the box is full, it can simply be removed from the display stand and immediately replaced by a new empty box. The corrugated box is designed to be durable and strong enough. It can be emptied and reused again and again for collection. 

After being collected the tennis balls are crushed. The rubber crumb is separated from the different fibres, the aim is to give the sorted materials new life and achieve circularity. In France, for example, it is used to play sports surfaces for athletics, volleyball, tennis, or playgrounds. 

Look around your neighbourhood. Maybe, you too will notice a small item that is being unnecessarily consumed and thrown away. Let's start a change together.