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)

We’ve had an email from Simon:

Any ideas on how to recycle squash balls? I play squash 4-5 times a week so end up with loads that are past their best. I’m sure there must be something better I can do than just throw them away? Suggestions I’ve had were to use them in the washing machine (?), in the cistern to save water, cover them in glitter to make xmas decs or make my own lottery / bingo set ….

I think the washing machine thing is like part of the idea behind washing balls (Ecoballs etc) – they bang against the clothes and the friction helps remove the grim and dirt, or something. That’s an awful explanation – sorry. Can anyone explain it better?

The lottery/bingo idea may seem a bit of a joke but if a local school fair or church fete may be able to use a whole stack of them for just that purpose – so it may be worth offering on your local Freecycle group just in case.

Any other suggestions? Am I right in thinking they’re made from rubber – and if so, what are the recycling options? Anyone know?

(Photo by wizard)

We’ve had an email from Ewan, asking:

hello, any ideas on what i could make with a broken basketball?

it looks exactly like this (–>)

and is completely intact apart from the bit where the pump goes in..

We had an old deflated football in our garden for a while (no idea where it came from) and one of the cats, Carbon, decided it was his own private rainwater collector/bowl — but that was an unintended, temporarily reuse.

So has anyone got any better ideas for Ewan?

(Photo by lusi)

We’ve had an email from Mark:

I found your site from Google after getting fed up with old snowboarding gear I have that has no snowboarding use left but could be used for other things. Searching your site I found a use for old plastic bindings, that someone said they could use for a project.

How can I reuse 2 old snowboards (one from 2000, the other 1995?) and one set of aluminium bindings? I am not after anything for them but feel they could be put to alternative uses.

I’m presuming they’re not still usable as snowboards by anyone else for whatever reason – otherwise I’m sure Mark would just pass them onto someone else who could use them (either through something like Freecycle or a snowboard-specific forum or whatever) – and Wikipedia informs me they’re usually made from a combination of wood, fibreglass, plastic and metal so recycling them is probably a nightmare – so we’re looking for reuse suggestions.

I think they’d make a cool version of the traditional cheap breeze-block-and-a-plank shelving unit but I realise that might not fit everyone’s favoured design aesthetic.

So any other ideas?

(Photo by bartgroe)

We’ve had an email from Becki Marsh Cox:

I go swimming at my gym everyday and even though I rinse them straight afterwards, my swimsuits always begin to thin after a couple of months. I usually go for cheap costumes but have had the same experience with more expensive ones.

I was wondering if you or any of your readers knew any secret ways to make them last longer or ways I can use the fabric elsewhere? It’s usually the bit stretched across my chest or the seams on the straps that goes first – the rest is fine. Thanks!

(Photo by dinny)