LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18 — Pickleball popularity continues to grow in Lexington. The city has 27 pickleball courts in parks already with more on the way. At Kirklevington Park, a new initiative is underway to give pickle people a chance to help sustain the environment.
According to players at the courts like Becky Tomb, the life cycle of a pickleball is relatively short.
“A good ball may last a little longer, but typically it depends on the weather.” she said. “If it’s really cold outside, the balls are going to crack a little easier. In the summer they’re going to last a little bit longer. The harder the hitter is, it’s probably going to crack a little bit faster. And the more you use it of course.”
Some players will keep using the ball even after it cracks a little bit. But when a crack goes too far, the ball becomes unusable.
“Once the crack goes all the way through from one hole to the next, you’re gonna want to put it in the recycle bin,” Tomb said. “You’re going to tell when the ball bounces and sometimes even when you hit it feels a little different and it definitely bounces different.”
Sometimes, pickleball players will repurpose a ball for an art project, like a Christmas tree ornament or other decoration. But the pickleball plastic presents a problem: it can’t be recycled by most recycling centers.
Throughout the summer, Lexington Sustainability Environmental Services found a solution by partnering with the nonprofit P3 Cares, a group that specializes in recycling pickleballs. Lexington Environmental Initiatives Specialist Chrissie Balding requested four white bins to collect pickleballs and set them up at the courts at Kirklevington.
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“We started this in April. This is a partnership between Sustainability, Parks and Recreation, and the Kentucky Pickleball Association,” she said. “Part of the reason we chose this location is they often host tournaments here. There’s a larger volume of players.”
The bins collect the balls, which are then shipped to the North Carolina-based nonprofit to recycle.
“We have mailed off one shipment so far, which is about 145 balls,” Balding said. “That’s nine pounds of plastic that we kept out of the landfill.”
These first four bins have taken some testing. For example, the lightweight bins currently have weights in the bottom to hold them down during high winds and severe weather. Once the city finds a solid solution, Balding hopes the system will be implemented at pickleball courts around Lexington.
“With such a large volume, those broken pickleballs can add up,” Balding said."
“Now to be able to put them in the recycle bin makes you feel so much better than throwing them in the trash,” said Tomb.
While the recycled pickleballs are currently recycled for a variety of uses, P3 Cares is working with pickleball producers to use the material in making more balls.
You can learn more about Lexington’s sustainability efforts here.
