Sustainability in Action
Whether it’s reusable cups or second-hand shopping, recycling has come to play an important role in many areas of life. And the Mannheim Institute of Sports (IFS) is no exception: Recycling boxes for sportswear and tennis balls showcase the institute’s commitment to sustainability.
Credit: IFS
You’ll find them in the university’s gyms, the sports centers and Unisporthalle: large, wood-colored boxes labeled “IFS Clothing Swap.” The University of Mannheim Institute of Sports has put up these boxes to recycle sportswear. Viola Münch, deputy head of the department and in charge of sustainability projects at IFS since 2022, explains the idea: “The boxes are for students and staff to drop off sports clothes they no longer need if they’re in good condition. Once every semester we’re hosting an event where we give out the collected clothes to interested students.”
Suitable items for the boxes include shoes, practice shirts or sports gear such as tennis rackets. “Certain clothes items, such as underwear and socks, are only acceptable if they are still in the original packaging. And of course, we are asking that people wash the clothes before dropping them off,” says Münch.
Credit: IFS
Up to 3,500 tennis balls per semester
The IFS team also came up with an idea for used tennis balls: “When hitting the balls, players exert considerable pressure. As a result, the balls soften after a while, which makes them difficult to control,” the sustainability officer explains. “That’s why we installed a recycling box at the university’s tennis courts in April. It’s an effort to keep the balls from being chucked in the garbage once they are no longer suitable for play.”
During the recycling process, the balls are turned into a material that can be used for building new tennis courts. And we’re not talking about a few dozen balls here. “Each season, we expect some 3,000 to 3,500 tennis balls to end up in our box.”
Above all, Münch points out, it is essential that Mannheim students get involved: “All we can do is lay the foundation, but such sustainability projects can only work if both sides work on them together.”
