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!
I would like to see samples of your jewelry.
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.
I mosaic old bowling balls with glass & sell them. I’ve even recycled old bowling pins & created Pin People. One of my creations won first palce in a national art competition. I’m a stained glass artist, so all of my glass is just left over from other projects. I get the balls for free from a local bowling alley. People drop them off there all of the time. I also get the pins from there but there aren’t as many of those being discarded. It’s good to find a way to reuse the balls as they will last forever in a landfill.
That sounds pretty cool. . .
So what part of the house do people put your designs?
It’s amazing what ideas people come up with. . . impressive. .
Hi,
I am looking to get at least one old bowling ball so that I can turn it into a cool gazing globe for the garden!!! I have seen these done and they are way cool! So dont throw them away.
The people that use them usually clean them with some denatured alcohol first and then use a spray primer and spray paint and then glue some flat glass gems on them with weather proof silicone glue.
and there ya have it, A COOL GARDEN GAZING GLOBE
I recycle old bowling balls. Cracked or not. I make them into bumble bees and ladybugs! Check my website out for ideas. I also buy old bowling balls!