Laykold and RecycleBalls Recognized for Transforming Millions of Tennis Balls Into High-Performance Courts

Groundbreaking collaboration has been shortlisted for the 2025 Sport+ Positive Awards

HARMONY, PA / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2025 / Laykold®, the largest provider of tennis courts in the world and the Official Court Surface of the U.S. Open, is being recognized for a groundbreaking collaboration with RecycleBalls, a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to reducing tennis ball landfill waste through reuse and recycling. Every year, over 150 million tennis balls are used in the U.S., and nearly all go to waste after just a few hours of play. Through their exciting partnership, Laykold® and RecycleBalls have created a new recycled materials supply chain that will prevent 2.1 million tennis balls from ending up in landfills by transforming tennis waste into high-performance courts across North and South America. Their innovative alliance has resulted in the two companies being shortlisted for the 2025 Sport+ Positive Awards in the "Purpose-Led Partnership with a Non-Profit" category.

"This is more than a materials story," said Dave Wheaton, Sales Director at Laykold®. "We're collaborating, designing, and innovating together. These are premium courts, created to meet the highest performance standards for the players who made this possible."

Together, Laykold® and RecycleBalls have created an end-to-end circular supply chain that crosses both private and public facilities, events, and players for impact from grassroots to Grand Slams.

What makes this partnership unique is that it's powered by over 2,000 volunteers, tennis clubs, and players across the U.S. and Canada. More than 250,000 pounds of tennis ball material are being repurposed into Laykold® courts, ranging from public parks to elite tournaments.

"Every ball tells a story," said Erin Cunningham, CEO of RecycleBalls. "From the moment it's tossed for a warmup to the last serve of the match. It's touched lives. This partnership means those balls don't just disappear. They come back as part of the very surface we play on. Together, we created a new supply chain and changed the whole system. We're honored to have this effort recognized and be included alongside the other incredible initiatives that are pushing sport to be a force for good."

Laykold court surfaces are manufactured by Advanced Polymer Technology (APT). The only court surface manufactured to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management and ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management standards on three continents.

Laykold® and RecycleBalls are the only racquet sports organizations to be recognized across the field of nominees. Winners will be announced at the Sport Positive Awards in London on October 7. Learn more about the combined efforts of Laykold® and RecycleBalls at www.laykold.com/news/recycleballs-erin-cunningham.

About Laykold®

With the world's biggest installation network and almost a century of inventing and reinventing high-quality tennis surfaces, Laykold® is known for pace precision, sustainability, advanced force reduction technology, and the best UV and color stability. Laykold® court surfaces are not just designed to meet the demands of professional athletes but also provide a superior tennis experience for clubs, schools, and public facilities worldwide. For more information, visit laykold.com.

About Sport Group

Sport Group is one of the world's largest businesses dedicated to sport surfaces. The Group manufactures and installs synthetic turf sport fields, athletic tracks, courts, and recreation areas in over 70 countries. With headquarters in Burgheim, Germany, the Group's brand portfolio includes AstroTurf®, Polytan®, SYNLawn®, LigaTurf®, Poligras®, Rekortan®, and Laykold®. Learn more at sportgroup-holding.com.

About RecycleBalls
RecycleBalls is a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of sports, starting with the tennis ball. As the only large-scale tennis ball recycler in North America, the organization has built an international network with thousands of collection facilities and volunteers and has kept over 17 million balls out of landfills. With a circular approach-reuse, repurpose, and recycle - RecycleBalls transforms tennis balls into valuable resources for new products.

SOURCE: Laykold