Table tennis or ping pong is played by an estimated 300 million people in more than 226 countries globally. It's a physical and social activity and doesn't require a lot of money. But does ping pong equipment have any environmental impact?

Celluloid plastic used to be the standard material to make ping pong balls, but It is highly flammable. The International Table Tennis Federation introduced poly plastic balls in 2014. Ping pong balls are recyclable, but like paddles and nets made with synthetic material, they are not biodegradable.

Some people donate ping pong equipment to charity or use it in DIY projects and science experiments. Some people use ping pong balls in party games or play ping pong creatively that don't require a net or table.

Will you play table tennis in a more sustainable way?

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