Everything about the program, the ball, and how clubs can join.
The program
Deadball is Queensland's first recycling network for racquet sport balls. We place collection bins at clubs, pick up the dead balls, and turn them into Dead Ball™ — Australia's first 100% recycled pickleball. Nothing goes to landfill.
Pickleball, tennis, and padel. Each ball type gets a different recycling stream — PP5 pickleballs become Dead Ball™, rubber padel and tennis balls become crumb rubber for sports surface infill, and tennis ball felt becomes compressed fibre panels for insulation. Nothing is wasted.
Queensland, Australia. We started on the Gold Coast and are expanding up the coast and into Brisbane. Use our Find a bin map to see current partner clubs. If your club isn't on the list yet, register to join the network.
QLD first. We're building the collection infrastructure, processing partnerships, and production capacity here before expanding interstate. If you run a club in NSW, VIC, or elsewhere, get in touch — we keep a waitlist for future states.
Both. Bins sit courtside at partner clubs, so any player who shows up to that court can drop in dead balls. The bin belongs to the club, but players don't need to be members. If there's no bin near you yet, let us know and we'll prioritise your area.
For clubs
Yes — for founding clubs. The first 10 clubs to register get the first month free, including bin placement and collection. After that, there's a low ongoing fee that covers collection, processing, and your quarterly impact report. Register your club to lock in founding terms.
A branded Deadball recycling bin placed courtside, a Sustainable Facility Accreditation Certificate, a listing on our club directory, priority access to Dead Ball™ when it launches, and a quarterly impact report showing exactly how many balls your club diverted, the CO₂ equivalent saved, and your ranking on the QLD leaderboard.
We collect when full or on a scheduled cycle — whichever comes first. High-volume clubs get more frequent collection. You don't need to do anything — we monitor fill levels and come to you. If a bin fills faster than expected, contact us and we'll arrange an unscheduled pickup.
Nothing. Leave it courtside. Players do the work. The bin is designed to sit in high-traffic spots with minimal maintenance. If it's damaged or needs attention, contact us and we'll sort it.
Yes. Partner clubs get exclusive pricing on Dead Ball™ and first access when the initial production run ships in Q4 2026. The more balls your club puts into the network, the more you get back — it's a genuinely closed loop.
Dead Ball™
Dead Ball™ is Australia's first 100% recycled pickleball. Made entirely from PP5 polypropylene reclaimed from Deadball collection bins — the cracked pickleballs your club drops in come back as this. Injection-moulded to standard 40mm dimensions, approved for USAPA recreational play.
The first production run ships Q4 2026. It's limited to founding club members and waitlist subscribers first. Join the Dead Ball™ waitlist to get notified when it's available, or lock in a subscription now to be front of the queue.
Dead Ball™ is built to USAPA recreational play specifications — standard 40mm diameter, tournament-grade dimensions and weight. It's a recreational ball, not USAPA tournament approved. For club open play, social sessions, and training, it's exactly what you need. Tournament-grade approval is a future goal.
On the court: it plays like a standard recreational ball. Off the court: it's made from balls that would have gone to landfill, processed and remanufactured in Queensland. No virgin plastic. No imported raw material. Every Dead Ball™ represents a closed loop — your club's waste comes back as your club's next ball.
Head to the Dead Ball™ page and choose your pack size — 3, 12, or 36 balls per delivery. Subscribers save up to 20% vs one-time purchases and get priority allocation in each production run. First deliveries ship Q4 2026.
One-time: $18 for a 3-ball tube, with larger packs available. Subscribers save up to 20% on recurring deliveries. Wholesale pricing is available for clubs and pro shops — email us.
Sustainability
Collected balls are sorted by material type at our QLD processing facility. PP5 pickleballs are cleaned, granulated into recycled resin, and injection-moulded into Dead Ball™. Padel and tennis balls (rubber + felt) go to separate streams — rubber becomes crumb rubber for sports surface infill, felt becomes compressed fibre panels for acoustic and thermal insulation.
Our 2025 estimate puts QLD racquet sport clubs at over 1 million balls sent to landfill annually. A standard outdoor pickleball lasts 20–50 hours of play. With 89+ QLD clubs surveyed and zero dedicated recycling programs in place before Deadball, the scale of the problem was straightforward to quantify — and straightforward to fix.
500 clubs enrolled by end of 2026. 1 million balls diverted from landfill by 2027. Zero ball waste in Queensland by 2028. We track every ball. Clubs receive quarterly impact reports showing their contribution to these targets.
Yes. We're currently pursuing the Tropic Queensland Manufacturing Grant Program (TQMGP — up to $50,000), Sport Australia's Sustainability Grants, QLD state-level sustainability programs, and local council environmental funds. Decision expected Q3 2026.
Email us at ed@noys.co. We respond within 24 hours.