More than 350 million tennis and padel balls are produced annually worldwide, with over 95% of them ending up in landfills or being incinerated. What many don't realise is that these balls take up to 400 years to decompose, creating a long-term environmental burden. The production of new balls also relies on non-renewable resources, further exacerbating their impact, Amazeballs says.

With South Africa's padel industry growing rapidly, boasting over 773 courts at 256 venues, the environmental footprint of discarded padel balls is only increasing. Amazeballs says that it aims to repurpose these materials into functional, aesthetically striking pieces, ensuring that the sport is not just trendy but also sustainable.

As part of this effort, Amazeballs adds that it has partnered with South African designers, including Vusi Ravele of Native Décor and Dean Dicks of Coney Collective. These designers are transforming padel balls into sustainable furniture that will debut at Cape Town Furniture Week, hosted at the Church House venue from Thursday, 20 to Saturday, 22 February. Entrance is free of charge. 

Sustainable Design With Purpose

For Vusi Ravele, Founder of Native Décor, sustainability has always been at the heart of his work. Since launching his brand in 2015, after being inspired by a cordless drill, Vusi has built a successful business creating contemporary furniture and décor, stocked by Woolworths, Superbalist, Yuppiechef and other major retailers, Amazeballs says.

"The Amazeballs campaign resonates deeply with me because it merges sustainability with a tongue-in-cheek, creative edge," says Ravele. "My brand has always been focused on using certified timbers and sustainably sourced steel, minimising material wastage."

"With this project, we wanted to explore new possibilities, which led to the design of a coffee table, side table and mirrors crafted from upcycled padel balls. There's been massive interest in these pieces, and we hope to show consumers that upcycled products can be just as desirable and functional as traditional furniture," Ravele adds.

"As padel balls take hundreds of years to degrade, participating in this initiative was a no-brainer. We need to start consuming products that are upcycled and sustainable. With this collection, we're making a statement that padel is more than just a fun, social sport,  it's a sustainable one too," Ravele says. 

Circular Economy: Nothing Is Lost, Everything Is Transformed

For Dean Dicks, Creative Director of Coney Collective, sustainable design isn't just about reducing waste, it's about rethinking the entire creative process to let materials dictate the design, Amazeballs says.

"The circular economy has become an increasingly important aspect of many industries, including furniture manufacturing," says Dicks. "By increasing the life cycle of materials, we can reduce waste, minimise environmental impact and create new products from existing resources."

"Since 2008, Coney Collective has been producing recycled furniture, but what sets us apart is that we let the materials, their history, and their properties define the design. We follow the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, where we embrace imperfections and actively seek out materials with unique textures, grains, densities and natural characteristics," Dicks adds.

"For Amazeballs, we developed two key pieces — a stool / chair, which we nicknamed 'The Umpire's Chair', a nod to tennis and padel and a conceptual mirror piece in the shape of Africa, integrating padel balls to reflect both the continent's identity and the sustainability mission. We used recycled board with a dark anthracite finish to make the balls 'pop', creating a high-impact, conversation-starting design," Dicks says.

"Art is emotional energy, it should move people in a way that improves their well-being. With Amazeballs, we want people to see how waste can either be destructive or repurposed to enhance an environment. That's the mindset shift we need in sustainable design," adds Dicks. 

Beyond Furniture Week: The Future of Amazeballs

Amazeballs says that it isn't just a once-off exhibition, it's a long-term sustainability initiative aiming to expand upcycling efforts nationwide. From playground surfaces to large-scale art installations, the campaign seeks to make discarded padel balls a valuable resource rather than an environmental burden.

"With Amazeballs, we want to change the way people think about waste," says Lesley Waterkeyn, Founder of Amazeballs. "By partnering with artists, designers and brands, we're not just reducing landfill waste, we're showing that sustainable design can be exciting, innovative and commercially viable."

Cape Town Furniture Week will serve as the official launchpad for the initiative, with more activations planned throughout the year. Consumers can look forward to exclusive product drops, artist collaborations and sustainability-driven events, Amazaballs adds.

Amazeballs concludes that individuals can join it at Cape Town Furniture Week to witness how discarded padel balls are being transformed into functional art and furniture and discover how sustainability can shape the future of design.

For more information, visit www.amazeballs.site. You can also follow Amazeballs on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of Amazeballs website