Did you know that it takes over 5,000 years for a tennis ball to biodegrade?

Over the past three years, in partnership with tennis organizations in the local area, Caroline Hall has collected over 5,000 used tennis balls. The used balls come from clubs, players, professional organizations and schools. Hall researched what to do with them. Her research revealed several fascinating uses, including protecting floors when moving furniture, childproofing doors and covering a hitch.

Along with these uses, Hall also discovered that schools and assisted living facilities use tennis balls on the bottom of chairs to soften the noise when chairs are moved along the floor.

If you are affiliated with or know of an organization that is in need of used tennis balls, please send an e-mail to hall@ms.usta.com with “Tennis Ball Recycle Program” in the subject line.