Trail Mail: Are Tennis Balls Bad for the Planet?

Real questions. Field-tested answers.

Got something on your mind? Ask away — your friendly Camp Counselor (hi, it’s me) is in.

Dear Field Trip,

“My dog is obsessed with tennis balls (like, full-on zoomies if she spots one in the house). But I’ve started wondering—are tennis balls bad for the environment? And is there a greener way to keep my fetch fiend happy?”

—Dog-friendly person that wants to be an Earth-friendly person

Camp Counselor Says:

Oh, the tennis ball paradox. On one hand: pure joy in fuzzy, neon form. On the other: not exactly an eco-win. Here’s the scoop:

Most tennis balls are made with synthetic rubber and felt (often nylon or wool mixed with plastic fibers). They’re tough enough to withstand epic serves at Wimbledon and slobbery backyard fetch sessions—but that also means they don’t break down easily in landfills. Millions of them get tossed every year, and yup, most end up in the trash. They can take up to 400 years to decompose, according to RecycleBalls.

But, there’s good news for your fetch-fanatic pup. That same nonprofit, RecycleBalls, collects old tennis balls and recycles them into new products like tennis court and horse footing surfaces. You can mail them your pup’s worn-out stash or find drop-off partners.

Even better? Skip buying new balls and further contributing to the problem. You can purchase recycled tennis balls from RecycleBalls through their Second Throw program. (Trust us, your dogs won’t know the difference.)

So go ahead, keep tossing. Just be mindful where those fuzzies end up when their bounce finally fizzles.

Psst… Have a burning question? Hit us up HERE.