RecycleBalls
RecycleBalls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects, recycles, and repurposes used tennis balls from a network of 4,000+ US and Canadian facilities, processing them into Green Gold crumb rubber used in tennis courts, equestrian footing, stucco, mulch, and dog toys.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSouth Burlington, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What RecycleBalls does
RecycleBalls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont that operates the only known large-scale collection and recycling program for used tennis balls in the United States. The organization runs two primary collection channels: the QuickShip Program, a tiered subscription membership for tennis facilities (Rally Pack $475 one-time, Ace at $108/month, Center Court at $170/month) providing pre-assembled collection bins with prepaid UPS return labels; and the QuickLabel Program, a self-service individual donation model ($30) shipping 100–300 balls at a time. Collected balls are processed at a 9,000 SF facility using a proprietary PLAY IT GREEN machine that handles 10,000 balls per hour and separates 99% of felt from rubber, producing Green Gold — a crumb rubber feedstock sold B2B for tennis court construction (Laykold), equestrian footing, stucco replacement, and rubber mulch, plus upcycled "No Trash" dog balls sold via Second Throw on eBay. A youth Ambassador Program and Facility Sponsorship tiers (3/6/12 month, $75–$1,000/year) augment the model with grassroots promotion and donor-funded program coverage.
The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining subscription memberships, corporate/individual sponsorships, Green Gold B2B material sales, dog ball retail, and charitable donations. Network coverage spans 4,000+ tennis facility partners across nearly every US state plus Canada (since 2020), with go-to-market executed through channel partnerships, community/ambassador-led advocacy, and event-driven engagement at tournaments and schools. Tax-deductible donation status (501(c)(3), Gold Candid rating) and partnerships with Wilson Sporting Goods (lead sponsor since 2019) and Laykold provide structural advantages competitors cannot easily replicate. Operationally the team is lean — approximately 10 staff including Executive Director Erin Cunningham, Controller Erin Lynn, Information Systems Specialist David Harcourt, and Customer Success Specialist Josh Burke — with strategic oversight from a 13-member board spanning sustainability, sports industry, and finance expertise.
RecycleBalls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RecycleBalls
- Legal name
- RecycleBalls
- Website
- https://recycleballs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- RecycleBalls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects, recycles, and repurposes used tennis balls from a network of 4,000+ US and Canadian facilities, processing them into Green Gold crumb rubber used in tennis courts, equestrian footing, stucco, mulch, and dog toys.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RecycleBalls industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tennis Ball Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)
- SIC
- Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Materials Recovery (Carpet, Mattresses, Bulky Items) (EUAIADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mechanical Recycling (Wash, Grind, Pelletize) (EUAIAKAB)
Keywords
Where RecycleBalls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Burlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
RecycleBalls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Facility Memberships: Subscription-based memberships for tennis facilities (Rally Pack, Ace, Center Court tiers) providing collection bins, prepaid return shipping, tracking, and promotional materials. Annual commitment with monthly or yearly billing options.
- Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsors fund facility recycling programs. Sponsors receive plaque recognition and potential tax deduction benefits. Sponsorship tiers include 3-month ($195), 6-month ($372), and 12-month ($600) options.
- Green Gold Product Sales: Sale of processed crumb rubber (Green Gold) for use in tennis courts, horse footing, stucco replacement, and rubber mulch products.
- Dog Ball Sales: Sale of recycled 'No Trash' dog balls via eBay marketplace. Provides dog owners with recyclable tennis ball alternative.
- Donations: Individual donations to support nonprofit operations. RecycleBalls is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with Gold Rating on Candid.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Rally Pack - One-time purchase for smaller or seasonal facilities with 10 bins |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ace Membership - For facilities with 4-8 courts, up to 60 bins annually |
| Subscription | Monthly | Center Court Membership - For facilities with 9+ courts, up to 130 bins annually |
| Subscription | Monthly | Facility Sponsorship - Covers recycling program costs for facilities |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | QuickLabel - Individual donation for 100+ balls shipping |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
RecycleBalls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RecycleBalls runs nonprofit tennis and padel ball recycling programs that collect used balls from partner facilities and individuals through a patented bin-and-prepaid-shipping system, then process them at its Vermont facility with the PLAY IT GREEN machine into Green Gold crumb rubber. Downstream, it sells that rubber into horse footing, cushion tennis courts (Laykold), stucco replacement, rubber mulch, and upcycled "No Trash" dog balls.
Product overview
RecycleBalls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of tennis ball recycling programs and recycled rubber products. The core offerings include the QuickShip Program (membership-based facility recycling with bins and prepaid shipping), QuickLabel Program (individual on-demand recycling), and the Ambassador Program (youth volunteer leadership). The organization's proprietary PLAY IT GREEN machine processes collected tennis balls at its Vermont facility to produce Green Gold, a natural crumb rubber that serves as the foundation for multiple downstream products including horse footing, Laykold cushion tennis courts, stucco replacement, rubber mulch, and upcycled dog balls. The product architecture consists of collection programs at the front end (QuickShip, QuickLabel, Rally Pack, Ambassador Program) feeding into processing infrastructure (PLAY IT GREEN machine) which outputs Green Gold for B2B product applications and consumer products ("No Trash" Dog Balls).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Green Gold: An all natural crumb rubber processed from recycled tennis balls, used in tennis courts, horse footing, stucco replacement, rubber mulch, and other green products.
Products and services
- QuickShip Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 125 million used tennis balls diverted from US landfills annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use RecycleBalls
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RecycleBalls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
RecycleBalls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LaykoldcoreTennis court manufacturer using recycled tennis balls in cushion court construction. Up to 10,000 recycled balls used per court. Products feature excellent playability and shock-absorption qualities.
- Second ThrowminorPartnership for 'No Trash' dog balls sold on eBay. Dog owners can purchase balls and return them for recycling at no cost.
- 4,000+ Tennis Facilities (Network)coreGrowing network of partner facilities in nearly every US state and Canada. Partners receive collection bins, prepaid shipping labels, tracking, and support. Facilities provide courtside collection infrastructure and promote recycling to players.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RecycleBalls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- UsedTennisBalls.com: Listed on RecycleBalls' own site as a 'Pre-cut Balls for Chairs' product line partner — collects and resells used tennis balls for school chair feet and crafts. Comparable as a tennis ball reuse/recycling channel but with a different downstream product mix.
- Second Throw: Channel partner of RecycleBalls reselling upcycled tennis balls ('No Trash' dog balls) via e-commerce. Comparable as a tennis ball reuse channel targeting pet owners, though it operates as a distribution partner rather than competing recycler.
- Rebound Recycling: UK-based tennis ball recycling nonprofit offering collection bins and reuse pathways. Closest direct peer to RecycleBalls' core tennis-ball recycling model, but operates regionally in the UK rather than North America.
Broad incumbents
- TerraCycle: Largest-scale hard-to-recycle materials processor operating across many product streams (cigarette butts, oral care, beauty packaging). Comparable to RecycleBalls as a branded recycling platform monetizing collection logistics and downstream material resale, but operates at vastly broader scale and across many categories.
- RubberForm Recycled Products: Manufacturer of recycled rubber products from tire-derived crumb rubber for construction, infrastructure, and agricultural uses. Comparable to RecycleBalls' Green Gold downstream applications but with broader rubber sourcing.
Emerging players
- BatRecycle (Phoenix Bats): Baseball bat recycling and repurposing program operated by Phoenix Bats. Comparable as a niche sport-equipment recycling channel but for baseball bats rather than tennis balls.
- reRubber: Rubber recycling company producing crumb rubber and recycled rubber products from tire and industrial rubber sources. Comparable to RecycleBalls' Green Gold crumb rubber business model and downstream applications (mulch, surfaces), but operates at broader rubber-stream scale.
Others
- Laykold (Sport Group): Tennis court surfacing manufacturer that uses RecycleBalls' Green Gold crumb rubber as an input. Comparable as a downstream offtake partner in the recycled-rubber sports surfacing value chain rather than a competitor.
- Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute: Nonprofit certification body for material reuse and circular economy standards. Thematically adjacent to RecycleBalls' sustainability mission but not a direct operational peer.
- Wilson Sporting Goods: Lead sponsor and partner since 2019, plus manufacturer of tennis balls that feed RecycleBalls' collection stream. Not a peer in the recycling sense but the strategic relationship defines RecycleBalls' upstream supply and brand credibility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RecycleBalls social profiles
Digital presenceRecycleBalls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RecycleBalls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
RecycleBalls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RecycleBalls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RecycleBalls
What does RecycleBalls do?
RecycleBalls runs nonprofit tennis and padel ball recycling programs that collect used balls from partner facilities and individuals through a patented bin-and-prepaid-shipping system, then process them at its Vermont facility with the PLAY IT GREEN machine into Green Gold crumb rubber. Downstream, it sells that rubber into horse footing, cushion tennis courts (Laykold), stucco replacement, rubber mulch, and upcycled "No Trash" dog balls.
Is RecycleBalls a public or private company?
RecycleBalls is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RecycleBalls founded?
RecycleBalls was founded in 2016.
Where is RecycleBalls based?
RecycleBalls is headquartered in South Burlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does RecycleBalls make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Facility Memberships are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships, green Gold Product Sales, dog Ball Sales and donations.
Who are RecycleBalls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are UsedTennisBalls.com, Second Throw and Rebound Recycling. Broad incumbents are TerraCycle and RubberForm Recycled Products. Emerging players are BatRecycle (Phoenix Bats) and reRubber. Others are Laykold (Sport Group), Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Wilson Sporting Goods.
Does RecycleBalls have an API?
No public API is recorded for RecycleBalls.
What industry is RecycleBalls in?
RecycleBalls's product category is Tennis Ball Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIADAL, Specialty Materials Recovery (Carpet, Mattresses, Bulky Items), with a secondary code of EUAIAKAB, Mechanical Recycling (Wash, Grind, Pelletize). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 2821.