Teens Chase World Record Recycling 500M Tennis Balls

A group of Pacific Palisades teens is turning their love of sports into environmental action by attempting something no one else has done: set a world record for recycling tennis and pickleballs.

The twelve high school students launched "Another Bounce" in February, targeting a massive waste problem most people don't even know exists. Every year, half a billion tennis and pickleballs end up in landfills where they'll sit for centuries because they can't biodegrade.

The students formed the Junior Board of Habits of Waste, a nonprofit focused on reducing waste. Their campaign began as they helped their community recover from January's Palisades Fire, showing how crisis can spark creative problem-solving.

Among the group are Ford and Boone Casady, who hold the top national rankings in junior pickleball. Other members include varsity athletes Dara Afshar, Max Ehrman, Rummy Goodyear, Jesse King, Miller Levin, Leo Mahmoodzadegan, Leo Morovati, Luc Montalba, Milan Ramesh, and Vivienne.

The big collection day happens April 19 during Earth Month. Anyone within 30 miles of Pacific Palisades can schedule a pickup by student volunteers, or people can ship their used balls to a Santa Monica address listed on AnotherBounce.org.

But these teens aren't stopping at one collection event. They're going directly to city councils in Beverly Hills, Burbank, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Los Angeles to push for new laws requiring parks, schools, and private clubs to recycle their sports balls.

They've also launched an email campaign targeting major manufacturers like Wilson, Penn, Franklin, Dunlop, and Selkirk. Their ask is simple but powerful: create national take-back and recycling programs so the problem gets solved at its source.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a local youth project is becoming a movement that could reshape how the sports industry handles its waste. If major manufacturers respond to these teens' pressure, millions of balls could be diverted from landfills nationwide every year.

The students are managing every aspect of the campaign themselves, from coordinating logistics to tracking donations to speaking at government meetings. Sheila Morovati, founder of Habits of Waste and mother to Junior Board member Leo, says the teens are running the entire operation.

Their Instagram @AnotherBounce provides regular updates as they work toward breaking the record and changing policy.

Twelve teenagers saw a problem everyone else ignored and decided to do something about it.