Impact Case Renewaball - Rubio Impact Report 2024

Renewaball: Closing the loop on tennis and padel ball waste

Every year, 120 to 130 million used tennis and padel balls are discarded across Europe, contributing to approximately 10,000 tons of methane-producing, non-decomposable rubber waste. Most of these balls end up in landfills or incinerators, despite the fact that they take 400 years to decompose. Beyond the waste issue, almost all tennis balls are produced in Southeast Asia, traveling nearly 80,000 km before being played in Europe—resulting in a massive carbon footprint.

Enter Renewaball, the first company in the world to successfully recycle tennis and padel balls into new ones. By collecting used balls, separating their materials, and repurposing them into certified, high-performance recycled balls, Renewaball is reshaping the industry with a circular production model. Through its AI-driven sorting and material recovery process, Renewaball not only prevents waste but also significantly reduces CO₂ emissions, offering a sustainable alternative for clubs, players, and sporting federations.

Theory of Change

The tennis and padel industries operate on a linear production model, where balls are used for only a few games before being discarded. Renewaball is breaking this cycle by establishing a closed-loop system that collects, recycles, and reintroduces tennis and padel balls back into the market. This drastically reduces fossil-based waste, minimizes CO₂ emissions, and sets a new sustainability standard for sports manufacturing.

By making recycled balls the new benchmark, Renewaball is proving that circularity in sports equipment is possible, encouraging brands, governing bodies, and consumers to adopt more sustainable practices.

Problem

It takes 400 years for a tennis ball to decompose, yet we throw them away after only a few games. Europewide, approximately 120 to 130 million used tennis balls end up in landfills each year. That is roughly 10 thousand tons of methane producing, near non-decomposable rubber waste. Furthermore, almost all (>99%) tennis balls are produced in Southeast Asia, far from where tennis is mainly played. A tennis ball travels about 80,000 km before being played in Europe, causing significant environmental impact through a large CO2 footprint.

Output & Outcome

Renewaball’s innovation directly impacts waste reduction and carbon emissions, proving that circularity in the sporting goods industry is both feasible and scalable.

By collecting and recycling tennis and padel balls, Renewaball reduces fossil-based waste, preventing thousands of balls from ending up in landfills. Every ball that is recycled lowers CO₂ emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment. Additionally, Renewaball’s process raises awareness of sustainability in the sporting goods value chain, encouraging clubs, players, and governing bodies to adopt circular models.

At scale, Renewaball’s approach has the potential to create systemic change in the sporting goods industry, ensuring that recycled content becomes a core component of product manufacturing.

Benificiaries

Renewaball’s impact extends across multiple groups. Society as a whole benefits from a reduction in waste and emissions, with fewer balls incinerated, landfilled, or leaked into the environment. The sporting world, including tennis and padel players, clubs, and retailers, gains access to a sustainable alternative without compromising performance. By offering a certified, ITF- and FIP-approved alternative, Renewaball makes sustainability more accessible to professional and amateur players alike.

Additionally, the environmental benefits extend beyond tennis—by setting a circular precedent, Renewaball’s impact contributes to broader efforts to reduce pollution and resource depletion in sports manufacturing.

Additionality

Currently, Renewaball is the first and only company that has successfully figured out how to recycle a tennis or padel ball at scale. While sustainability has become a priority in many industries, the sports sector has lagged behind, particularly in addressing waste from equipment.

Without Renewaball, millions of tennis and padel balls would continue to be incinerated or landfilled, with no viable alternative for their disposal. The company’s unique ability to separate and repurpose materials ensures that its impact goes beyond simple waste reduction—it is fundamentally shifting how the industry thinks about product lifecycles.

Systemic potential

Renewaball is not just reinventing the tennis ball—it is proving that circularity in sports is possible. If widely adopted, its model could:

Set a new industry standard, leading to broader adoption of recycled materials.
Encourage governing bodies to implement sustainability policies for sporting equipment.
Expand beyond tennis and padel, paving the way for circularity in footballs, basketballs, and other sports gear.

By making sustainability a core component of performance products, Renewaball is driving a shift in mindset across the entire sports industry.

Rubio Impact Target

Tons of CO2 avoided as a result of collecting and recycling tennis/padel balls.

Risks

One of the main risks to Renewaball’s impact is its dependence on effective collection. The success of the circular model requires consistent and large-scale returns of used balls. Without high participation from clubs, retailers, and players, the supply chain for recycled materials could be disrupted.

Another challenge is market adoption. Tennis and padel players may be reluctant to switch to a sustainable alternative if they perceive performance differences compared to traditional brands. Renewaball must continue working with professional players, coaches, and federations to drive broader acceptance.

SDG Alignment

Renewaball contributes to:

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Developing a fully circular sports product and reducing waste.