Basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, footballs, beach balls, nerf balls, tennis balls, ping pong balls, golf balls, yellow and orange balls, small and medium balls….. all on the beach.. waiting to be eaten and adding to plastic pollution.
Over the year I have picked up 100+ balls of all types. Fortunately some were in good enough shape to donate, but.. tennis balls are difficult.. so what to do? People that just leave their beach balls… UGH…
The problem is multifold. Throwaway society, lack of respect for others including oceanic animals and a complete disregard for any laws. Leashed dogs (tennis balls) and littering. I wonder what these parents are teaching their kids about taking care of their things? Many of the balls are with toys.
That said.. what do you do with these balls and trying to reuse or recycle? I made garden art .
A gray whale that died after getting stranded on a West Seattle beach had a large amount of garbage in its stomach — ranging from plastic bags to a pair of sweat pants and even a golf ball. (2010 NBC News)
The only problem with the tennis balls, is my neighbors lab. He is obsessed with tennis balls and can’t resist jumping into the garden and picking them up.
641 golf balls were picked in 2018 at one location at San Diego County’s Coastal Clean Up Day.
All of the above balls have plastic or foam. They do deteriorate and break apart and it is not unusual to find little pieces of nerf balls strewn all over the beach.
If you are going to the beach.. take larger colored balls that can easily be found in the sand. No Ping Pong balls, no white golf balls. When done playing with, just place with the rest of your stuff to take home. If ruined throw in the trash.