Set For More
Set For More
Every year, approximately 125 million tennis balls are thrown away and end up in landfills, where they sit for years before eventually decomposing. At the same time, dogs in animal shelters across the Houston area often go without toys or a source of stress relief. These two issues go hand in hand, and here's a solution to both.
With donation boxes placed around the Houston area, individuals like you can donate depressurized or fluffed up tennis balls from matches or hitting sessions directly to local dog shelters without having to drive out of your way. Instead of wasting those tennis balls, why don't we set them up for more?
Tennis balls are made to be replaced quickly. They usually go flat long before the felt or rubber wears out. While that's bad news for landfills, it's good news for dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, fresh, pressurized tennis balls, especially high-quality ones, are not recommended for dogs because the pressure and abrasive felt can contribute to gum irritation and tooth wear. However, once the balls have been depressurized, these concerns are significantly reduced, making them a much safer option for play.
is roughly all it takes for a pressurized ball to go noticeably flat, long before the felt actually wears out.
is about how long the rubber core of a tennis ball can sit in a landfill before it fully breaks down.
required. Depressurized balls are actually gentler and safer for a dog's teeth and gums than a fresh, hard one.
Five short hops, and a ball that was headed for the trash ends up as somebody's favorite toy.
Use a can of balls until they lose their hop, on the court, in practice, however you play.
Toss dead balls into any Set For More box at a partner club, park court, or pro shop.
Volunteers run weekly routes across Houston, emptying boxes and doing a quick sort and clean.
Sorted balls go straight to partner shelters and rescues around the city.
A dog gets a new favorite toy, and one less ball ends up in a landfill.
I started this project in my freshman year of high school after playing countless USTA and UTR tennis tournaments and seeing the sheer volume of balls from practices and tournaments that just get thrown away.
Our family also had a dog when I was younger, and I remember seeing the pure joy on her face when she was given a tennis ball. It helped her especially when she was stressed or nervous, and I saw an opportunity arise. I really want to help the community, and that's when I came up with Set For More.
After doing a lot of research, I found initiatives similar to this that recycle tennis balls, but none of them donated straight to dog shelters, and some even monetized the process. I genuinely want to connect my two loves and make the world just a little bit better.
We're placing boxes at courts, clubs, and parks across Houston. Here's where the program is headed first, with more locations going up as we grow.
These are the locations we're working to bring on board first. Pins are placed at each venue's real address.
Drop box planned near the tennis center courts, one of the city's busiest public play spots.
Drop box planned at the club's tennis facility for members finishing a match or hitting session.
Drop box planned on-site so members can donate balls without a separate trip.
Set For More runs on courts, clubs, and volunteers, not a warehouse. There's a spot for you whichever way you play.
Run a club, court, or pro shop? Add a Set For More box on-site and we'll handle pickup.
Request a box →Volunteer to collect from a handful of boxes near you, on your own schedule, roughly once a week.
Sign up to volunteer →Donations cover bins, bags, and gas for collection routes. Every dollar keeps balls moving to shelters.
Support the program →