Discarded padel balls are getting a chance at life off the court thanks to the upcycling initiative Amazeballs, which is reducing waste by turning the balls into creative products.
South Africa (07 March 2025) — It’s no secret that Padel has exploded in popularity. However, the exciting rise of a new activity that everyone from your neighbour to landlord has likely considered giving a gander also comes with a less than thrilling reality—a new waste problem. While most might not consider what happens when the lifecycle of a padel ball terminates, a new upcycling initiative dubbed Amazeballs has introduced itself to South Africa as a positive end-point.
On a mission to reduce waste left behind by the humble padel ball (which, at scale, is no small issue), Amazeballs has teamed up with creatives to give the balls another spin.
The Amazeballs team explain that there isn’t much longevity to life as a padel ball. Only lasting between two and four matches—the balls tend to lose their bounce; making them redundant as time goes on.
When we consider that millions and millions of these products are produced annually around the world, it becomes apparent that there is an unfathomably large problem at hand.
Like most types of waste, once these items can no longer be used for their intended purpose, they’re cast aside; destined for inundated landfills where they’ll sit for centuries.
However, as it is with other industries using upcycling as a means to solve waste problems creatively, Amazeballs is looking at the situation opportunistically.
With bins planted all over South Africa, Amazeballs collects discarded padel balls set to be upcycled into new products. Their team of local artists then decides on what the balls can be transformed into—whether furniture, art, or even playgrounds.
In a South Africa that simply can’t afford any more streams of waste, initiatives like this one are imperative to changing the way we consume. Not only does it help ease the waste burden, it also makes us a little more conscious to the power of what’s possible when we give a product a new life-path.
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