How can I reuse or recycle bowling balls?
We’ve had an email from Marsha asking:
where or how to you recycle old bowling balls? They are petrol based. estimates of at least 100,000 are just put in land fills. thanks
Ooh, good question.
If they’re still in good condition, I’d offer them on Freecycle or to the local bowling alley – if they can’t use them because all theirs need to be a particular brand or whatever, they might know a customer who could use them.
If they’re cracked or what not, I’d still be tempted to offer them on Freecycle – for people wanting them for a fun decoration (a GIANT paperweight perhaps ;) ) or for a craft project.
Actual recycling will depend on exactly what type of plastic it is, for example, some balls are made out of urethane and that is cost-prohibitive to recycle – so it’ll probably be easier to think of good reuses than get the plastic back into the system.
So reuse suggestions?
(Photo by bas3ssen)
Cover it in concrete and use as a ball for a gate post? Don’t know if this is feasible.
Use as a weight for something?
cover it with mosaic items (can even be more recycled materials like broked glass or dishes) and then put it in your garden like a gazing ball or decoration.
I agree… looks cool!
http://chunksofglass.com/gallerybowlingballs.php
I knew a fellow who kept a large cat, think it was a cougar. He used old bowling balls for cat toys. Perhaps a local zoo might have a use for them.
If they are bright colours like the ball picture they would look neat buried halfway in flowerbeds or perhaps even just in the grass in your lawn. Likewise, if you had several, you could make a border for a flower bed or line a pathway.
ha ha cool idea
There is a club in town that used them between the building and their outside bar, the ground was sunken between the two so they filled the hole with a ton of bowling balls. All the balls where at different heights giving the area a texture and colorfulness.
I heard them in a percussion show once (hit with drum sticks). Fantastic!
if you had a bunch of them you could use them as a garden border instead of bricks.
I agree with Lisa, contact your local zoo or sanctuary they can be used for animal enrichment!
Put some long lasting plant in it,it will grow thru the holes :)
put them in a pond or creek or lake, they will become a habitat.
how can i get some of these boling balls where and how lol i would like to get some to be crafty with
Matt Cole jewelry made from recycled bowling balls!
His site is http://matt-cole.com
I’m not 100% about this one, but wouldn’t a bowling ball make a good plant pot. . . ? Saying that – how often do people throw these away as I thought they lasted for almost forever.
Still. . . . . I think if I had a number of bolwing balls and they were different colours, I’d probably drill large holes in them and make them into candle holders. . . . just a thought of course.